


A Underhanded Bet

by CupOfStarsAndSpice



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: BDSM, Consensual Somnophilia, Food Kink, Gambling, Humiliation, M/M, Master/Pet, Mind Manipulation, NSFW, Praise Kink, Restraints, Sensory Deprivation, Sexual Slavery, Size Kink, Somnophilia, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:28:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 60,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22895677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupOfStarsAndSpice/pseuds/CupOfStarsAndSpice
Summary: Elias (MC) has been living with the brothers for quite some time now, and they all have their own charms— but that in and of itself is a double edged sword. For now, just being able to spend time with them all is enough, but the feelings for each of them are still very, very real. And Elias doesn’t want to create waves with his seemingly unrequited school boy crushes, so he’s content to keep it to himself.That is, until one night when he’s at a party, and participates in a sketchy bet he really should have just let be. Now he has on this ridiculous collar, and is subject to the whims of all seven brothers— the only loophole being even more embarrassing than he could ever imagine.Servicing one masters’ whim— every whim, no matter what— for a week straight.Will Elias even make it that long? Or will the ministrations of the seven deadly sins wear him down completely?
Relationships: Asmodeus (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Beelzebub (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Leviathan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 149
Kudos: 298





	1. An Underhanded Bet

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! A Underhanded Bet is a porn with plot based fic and a variety of kinks will be included as we go. Any needed spoiler warnings will be included before chapters if needed.

Nearly asleep at the breakfast table, Elias let out yet another yawn, gathering interest from a few of the others.

”Did you not sleep well last night, Elias?” Satan questioned, looking over the table at him with the faintest hint of curiosity in his tone.

”Mm.. Not quite..” The brunette responded, grogginess still weighing him down. Lifting a hand to his eyes and rubbing them slightly, Beelzebub piped up from the end of the table.

”Could you not sleep because you were hungry?”

Asmodeous sighed softly, gently shaking his head while leaning it on his perfectly manicured hand. “You’re really the only one here who suffers from that type of insomnia, Beel.” Slyly, and with a slight purr in his voice, Asmo interlocked his free hand with Elias’s, flashing a not-so-innocent smile.

”I bet he was up all night thinking of me, hmm?~” Mischief and amusement dancing through his eyes, he prodded further. “I mean, I can’t blame you, but you should really just tell me if you need to see the one and only in person. I don’t mind if it’s you~”

Elias blinked, furrowing his brows slightly, but not taking his hand away. “Wha? No, I just didn’t sleep well is all.. Was I supposed to think of you?”

Belphegor, still half asleep himself, groaned softly. “Elias. That’s not what Asmo meant by _thinking of him_.” Belphie propped himself up a bit more, a small grin tugging at his lips.

Confusion pulled at his face for a moment before he paled slightly, and then a small blush tinged his cheeks as he gently took his hand back and held it protectively to his chest once he realized what he meant.

” _N..no_..” He coughed into his balled up hand, clearing his throat. “No, I wasn’t.”

Asmodeous pouted, crossing his arms. “Aw, Belphie! You really didn’t need to tell him. Elias is too cute when he’s confused.”

Elias blushed harder, carding a hand through his hair.

” _Anyway_ ,” he went on, changing the subject. “I just had a weird dream is all. I kept feeling like I was waking up, but it was all just very restless sleep.”

”Oi, you at least got to sleep in your own bed!” Mammon said after a huff, his shades just barely covering the dark circles around his eyes.

”ROFL, that’s your own fault for trying to sneak the present Lucifer got from Diavolo out.” Still mostly invested in his game, Levi joined the conversation— probably mostly because he wanted to berate Mammon. The purple haired demon brought one hand up to his mouth before laughing heartily, “Lolol, you looked like a bat, dangling from the chandelier all night.”

Mammon retorted, anger dripping from his voice “Yeah, you better shut it! Lucifer doesn’t even do anything with those stupid statues and stuff anyway. Why let them sit around and get all dusty when they can be exchanged for something that’s actually worth having?”

” **Oh?** ”

Mammon froze up at the sound of Lucifers voice, a dark aura emitting from his body. The eldest born had walked into the room just in time to hear Mammon make that remark. 

“Maybe you didn’t get punished enough, or else you _wouldn’t be saying such idiotic things._ ”

”Eep!!” Mammon jumped out of his seat, laughing nervously and going on and on about how he was joking.

Meanwhile, Elias stood, headed out to walk to school when Satan stopped him. “You’re leaving already?”

”Mm.” He nodded in reply, stretching slightly. “I’m going on a walk. Hopefully it wakes me up a bit.”

Satan nodded, though he didn’t look totally convinced. And with that, Elias left the dining hall, the sounds of the rambunctious family still echoing as he left.

••••

On his way to RAD, the human typed away on his D.D.D, aimlessly keeping his mind busy while on his commute there. So immersed in it, he completely missed the footsteps in front of him, until he collided directly into someone else.

With a small grunt from the air being knocked out of him suddenly, it took the boy a moment to get his bearings, snapping back to his senses only when he heard the other person groan.

”Ah— oh, oh no, I’m really sorry—“ Quickly picking up the papers the woman had been holding, she sighed to herself, muttering under her breath. “You should be. It’s your fault, after all!”

Elias flinched slightly at the harsh tone, but he supposed it was well deserved. Standing up and finally making direct eye contact, it was shown he has bumped into a woman— demon, of course— with bright purple eyes and curled purple hair. She was quite stunning. And it seemed like something clicked when she saw his face, too.

”Say, aren’t you the human living with the seven brothers?”

”Yes..?” Gingerly, he handed the stack of papers back to her, unsure of where this question was leading.

Happily taking them, it was as if a flip switched inside of her. Her eyes smiled when she spoke, all grins, with none of the maliciousness previously in her voice.

”Oh, my! This must be fate! You see, I actually could use your help.” The woman’s eyes narrowed, but the smile stayed. “You see, one of the brothers— Mammon— has... a debt to collect from someone. And this someone will be at an _exclusive_ party tonight. But, unfortunately, Mammon is quite hard to reach...” She said through gritted teeth. “However, you could pass along the message, right?”

”Um, I don’t know if—“

But Elias’s efforts were useless. Before he had the chance to agree or turn her down, she was already rummaging through the stack of papers and pulled out two tickets that had been between them. “You will? Wonderful! It’s tonight at 8:00, make sure you’re punctual. Oh— and, it’s a masquerade event, so do make sure you come properly dressed. And...” Her smile twisted, definitely giving off a hostile vibe. “Make sure you go to the 6th room to the right of the main floor. That’s where the debt can be paid.” As if on cue, all hostility melted away, and she waved while saying her goodbyes in a chipper voice. “Anyway, I’ll see you both there!”

”Wait! I don’t even know your...” But, by the time he caught up with everything that just happened, she was long gone. Elias sighed, holding the tickets in one hand, and rubbing the back of his neck with the other. “...name...”

Resigning to this newfound responsibility, he tucked the tickets away into the breast pocket of his coat, and continued on his way to RAD.

••••  
” **Ughhh** ” The brunette huffed, trudging back from school for the day, completely unsuccessful in finding Mammon. 

”Any other day he would have been looking for _me_ at school. Of course when I have something to tell him, he turns into a goddamn Where’s Waldo character.”

Once home and in his room, he changed into something more comfortable. Due to him spending extra time wandering around RAD to look for Mammon, it was already 5:00. 

“Damn...” Elias flopped down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He glanced at his phone and checked his and Mammon’s chat. Besides the 17 unread messages from Elias to Mammon himself, nada.

”Well, it’s not like I have to do this, right? It’s not _my_ job to—“ As he mulled over these thoughts, he remembered all that has been done for him by Mammon since getting here to the Devildom. Well, no, not just Mammon. _All of the brothers_ have helped him in some way at some point. Being a human, there’s not much to offer as far as repayment goes, due to the physical and mental endurance being shorter than that of a demons’. Plus, it was _just_ _picking up some money..._ And on top of that, he wouldn’t want to hear the rant Mammon would likely give if he learned he missed out.

”...Ah, what the hell?”

Sitting up in bed, and steeled in his resolve, Elias decided to go and pick up the debt that was owed to Mammon himself.

Slowly standing up, he came to the a realization, however.

”Wait, this is for Mammon. They probably won’t hand it over to just anyone. But, it’s a masquerade, so my face will be hidden. So there’s nothing to worry about, right? Except...” His left hand gingerly lifted to his hair, a far cry from the pure white locks Mammon had.

”Hm.. Ah! Asmo!”

Very quietly, Elias made his way to Asmodeous’ room. He knew that if he asked for what he wanted, Asmo would pry, and if he pried, he’d figure everything out, and if he figured everything out— well... There was little chance any of the brothers would let Elias go to an unknown party by himself in the Devildom. But filled with a newfound sense of vigor, he _really_ wanted to be helpful in some way, seeing how it’s now become painfully obvious how little he can do to repay them as it is. 

So, after making sure Asmo wasn’t inside, he delicately made his way across the room over to the gigantic vanity and surrounding shelves and drawers. When he would come to Asmodeous’ room, Elias always marveled at how intricate his cosmetic station was. Asmo was prepared for any and every fashion need— including _exactly_ what he needed right now.

A wig.

Making sure to leave as much untouched as possible, Elias shifted through each drawer and went over each shelf until he found the wig he was looking for.

“There we go.” He couldn’t help but smile a bit triumphantly, feeling like somewhat of a spy on a secret mission, and finding it to be quite fun.

With his item in hand, he left Asmo’s room, closing the door just as gently as he did when he went inside.

One more place to go.

Originally, Elias wasn’t going to stop by here, but he figured if he was going to make a Mammon ensemble, he needed Mammon items.

Just like before, Elias went into the room quietly. With a tiny amount of effort, he found a very eccentric masquerade mask Mammon had used a few times in the past. Gilded in gold and silver with small yellow jewels outlining the mask itself, complete with some black feathers on the top right side. Certainly with this, he’d at least get a passing grade when dressed up as ‘The Great Mammon’.

Chuckling to himself, he made his way back to his room, thankful for the odd quiet that seemed to be throughout the house tonight. Yet it also was a little sad not to hear the bustle of everyone else around him...

Oh, well. He had another matter to attend to right now. And with it being 6:00 already, he had to hurry up and get changed.

••••  
Elias didn’t want to toot his own horn, but _damn_ did he do a good job.

Albeit, the skin tone was off, but with the mask and formalwear it shouldn’t be that noticeable to begin with. Besides that, he could be the spitting image of Mammon himself.

Well, maybe a bit shorter, but that wasn’t too important. He doubted people would be at the party with a measuring tape to make sure they get everyone’s identification down to the inch.

It was already 7:30 by the time Elias had finished dressing up, and he grabbed one of the tickets that were now on his nightstand, and headed out.

••••  
 _“Wow, this is crowded.”_ The boy muttered to himself. There seemed to be people, and... creatures of all types at the party. He had gotten in with no problem of course, thanks to the ticket. But even the foyer was packed. He actually felt a bit intimidated, suddenly realizing how bad it would be if... No, no! Elias balled his fists and took a deep breath. He could do this! Just had to get in and get out.

Checking his D.D.D, it was 8:15. The walk to the party took a bit longer than originally expected, due to some confusing directions. But, he was here.

”6th door...” 

Making his way to the room he was advised to go to, he had a small inkling of panic well in his gut.

 _”Wow, Elias. You only live with seven of the most powerful demons in the Devildom. Get a grip, man.”_ His thoughts reassured him, and he gently knocked on the door. Once he did, he noticed a small sign out from.

”Gambling den...?”

But, the door was opened quickly, and he had no time to read further.

He nodded to the presumed bouncer, and began to walk in, when the demons’ arm flew out in front of him.

Blinking, he was glad he had the mask on. It could cover how pale his face must be right now.

 **”Name.”** The bouncer stated matter-of-factly.

Elias mustered up his best Mammon instincts before speaking;

”Me? _Me???_ I’m the GREAT Mammon! Tha’s who ‘me’ is!!!” Internally, he scolded himself. ‘ _Who me is??? Really Elias???’_

But, the bouncer seemingly could care less at the eccentric display. “Mm. Boss is waiting for you. Go in.”

”Uh.. Yeah, of course! Of course I can go in.”

Again, the bouncer was throughly unimpressed, already turning his attention away from him.

Clearing his throat before continuing on, Elias made his way over to a very large poker table in the corner. The room itself was eerily subdued, as opposed to what a casino might be. Very few people were here. But, a masked woman with purple hair caught his eye! Quickly walking over, he could see the woman visibly shift moods when she saw who she thought was Mammon. Going from a refined, elegant aura to one that was clearly very tense and, maybe even a bit threatening?

”Mammon. How lovely for you to join us. I have to say, I’m surprised you showed.” The woman said in the most fake-polite voice he had ever heard.

”Uh... Yeah, well, of course! They don’t call me the demon of greed for nothin’, ahahahaha!!”

The lady seemed completely irritated.

”...Yes. I suppose so. Anyway, speaking of that debt...” All of a sudden, she sat down, a coy smile spreading across her face. “How would you like to _double it_?”

This took Elias off guard. Of course, he wanted to say no, but Mammon... Mammon definitely would _never_ say no to the chance of having more money. Possibly one of the things that made his stupidity so intense was that very fact. So for Elias to turn it down would...

The woman piped in, and even he could tell she was taken aback. 

“This apprehensive nature isn’t like you, Mammon. Do you not want to take the bet?”

”What? No, I just...”

The woman, while still a bit puzzled at this peculiar nature he showed, put a smile back on her face. This time, genuine. And also very scary.

”I’ll tell you what. You make the bet, and if you win, you take double the money. If I win, you just need to... model something for me, and take the initial Grimm. You do still model, right? For old times sake, Mammon~” Suddenly, she seemed to have sauntered over to Elias, whispering that last part directly into his ear and making him blush.

”...Y-yeah, yes! Okay.”

A wicked grin spread over the woman’s face.

**_”It’s a bet.”_ **

••••

The awful feeling in Elias’s stomach grew exponentially with each passing moment of the game. Truth be told, he wasn’t very good at poker to begin with, but _masked poker?!_ That just wasn’t fair.

Wiping a bit of sweat from his brow, the brunette was focusing on his breathing, trying to stay calm. Why was he even worried? This was essentially a win-win situation!... But, if he had to get into something... If he had to _model_ something... What if it’s revealing? What if it’s embarrassing? Elias’s face heated up, a rising red tone settling into his cheeks.

”I’ll raise.” Said the woman, who seemed completely unfazed.

”...Hold.” Elias muttered, eliciting a groan from his component.

”Come on, Mammon! You can’t just hold again and again! What happened to that spark you used to have, huh?” She inquired, anger laced in her words.

Elias forced a laugh, “Ahaha, of course I still have the— the spark!! Of course! Just.. not feeling it so much tonight...”

”Hmmm?...” The woman leaned back in her seat after she had initially leaned forward during her small outburst, crossing her arms.

”...Mammon.”

It took him a second to realize she was speaking to him due to his nerves running so high.

”Uh, ah, yes? I mean— yeah?”

The womans’ eyes behind her mask showed a deviousness she did not previously have.

”I bet triple on the debt owed.”

Elias almost choked, pulling at his necktie.

”T-triple??”

” _Triple._ ”

He took in a shaky breath, trying to think of what to say.

”Well, uh, I—“

She interrupted, putting one finger in the air.

”Triple... For one full hand. No holding, all in. _Triple._ ”

No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t see why it’d be wrong to take the offer. But his gut feeling just would not go away. Raking his brain for answers, the woman spoke up, impatient.

”Deal?”

With no reason to decline, and going against every god given instinct...

”...Deal.”

The lady practically purred her approval. Elias took a shaky breath as he was dealt his hand, and his heart stopped in his throat.

A grin spread on his face that he quickly tried to suppress.

_Full house!_

He freakin’ _did it!_ His mind wandered to Mammon’s face when he would walk in with not just his owed debt paid, but _triple!!!_

The woman hummed to herself, sighing softly, and nodding to him.

”Alright. Let’s get this over with. Show on three. One... Two... Three”

Elias, a little excited and overly confident, may have flipped over his hand a bit quickly. But the pride radiating off of him was obvious. 

The woman just smiled.

Slowly, and still smiling himself, Elias glanced at her hand.

His fingers went numb, smile quickly fading.

”Straight... flush...”

The woman grinned, mustering up as much innocence as she could in her voice, yet even with the mask on, Elias could feel the malicious intent.

”Oh, look at that. Seems I won.”

••••  
Still trying to come to terms with it all, the woman was now standing directly next to Elias’s seat, and she snapped her fingers in his face.

”Hey. Remember our deal?”

Shaking himself out of his trance, Elias cleared his throat. “Huh? Ah.. Yes.. Um, well—“ Slowly he stood, his hands held up innocently in front of himself, smiling as nonchalantly as he could. “I’ll be in touch, then? To do that later, cause tonight I’m just, whew, that was an intense game, you know? And the debt, pssh, we can deal with that later on too, right? There’s no rush.” All the while, he was backing up towards the door, as the woman simply stood there with her arms crossed. 

“Sooo,” he continued, “it was _really_ fun and all, but I gotta ru— ooph!”

The bouncer stood directly behind him, and grabbed his wrists to hold behind his back as the woman rummaged through her purse.

”Hey!! What— Let go!!”

”You know how this works, Mammon.” The lady said, holding something round and black as she started to walk over at a slow pace. “Debts, here... They’re paid in **_full._** “

Elias could only watch as she took this— this—... is that a collar? His face blushed red, and he tried to turn his head away, which she only grabbed to hold still.

”Oh, Mammon. This won’t be so bad. Think of it as a learning opportunity. Besides... I know how you’re such a stickler for debts.”

With one last wicked grin, she locked the black collar in place over Elias’s neck. His entire body felt like a surge of warmth pass over it, and he panted slightly from the wind it actually knocked out of him.

The guard let him go, and Elias fell to the ground, pulling at the collar weakly.

”What the hell... what is this?” he stammered. For some reason, he couldn’t catch his breath, and a distinct sharp pain slowly began to spread throughout each limb before settling in his chest.

”Hmm... Should I tell you?...Mm, no.” She smiled, giggling to herself. “You’ll find out soon anyway, and I don’t want to deprive your first _Master_ out of that initial glee when they see the shock on your face.”

”Master?...” Elias echoed, confused.

”Mammon.” The woman leaned down, and her smile was ear to ear. Even with the mask on, the boy just knew her expression was terrifying. She whispered to Elias, which he could just barely hear.

” ** _You may want to run now_** **.”**

The threat alone did not have to be repeated. And within moments, Elias was running out of that party. Breath ragged, he was completely confused as that new pain settled down to make it’s home inside him.

••••  
”God..damnit...” Elias had slowed once he was about 5 minutes from the house, his wig and mask now off with his tie loosened. But what he was really focused on was the collar. No matter how much he tugged and pulled, it did not budge.

A heavy sigh made him slump his shoulders in defeat.

”How am I going to explain this thing? I mean, maybe I can say it’s for fashion? No, no— fashion or not, wearing something like...” his fingers grasped the O ring at the front, face reddening. “...like this... It just doesn’t make sense to wear 24/7. Even Asmo would agree that it’d be odd, I’m sure.”

Wallowing in self pity, Elias approached the door of the house, that warmth still coursing through him and seeming to drown out the pain with each passing step. For some reason, the closer to the house he got, the easier it felt to breathe. Funny how calming this place, this home is to him, and he didn’t even realize it.

”And what was up with what she said?... She probably just figured me out and wanted to scare me. Which, it worked, but jeez. Of all the weird things to say.” He sighed dejectedly and frowned at these thoughts. “I didn’t even get the original debt that was owed..” But there was nothing that could be done now. As far as the brunette was concerned, he was lucky to leave with his life if they really _did_ figure him out.

Elias opened the doors, and he immediately heard slight yelling from the other room. Curiosity and something else in his core taking him over, he made his way to the dining hall where the commotion was.

All seven brothers were there, arguing about something with papers in their hands. Probably hearing Elias’s footsteps, they turn to him as he walked through the doorway. The second eye contact was made, the strangest thing happened.

Elias immediately dropped to his knees, sitting there, hands folded in his lap, head slightly bowed. His brain finally caught up with his body, and his face went red at the rather embarrassing behavior and subservient position. Even worse though, is that it felt so _right._ Like this is _exactly_ where he belonged.

”What’s— what’s going on?”


	2. Servant, Slave, Pet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the collar and contracts spelling out how this is looking for Elias, the brothers discuss how to best go forward. The only known loophole is one that may be impossible obtain without going down a serious road if taken, and they don’t want to put Elias in that type of position— but ultimately, it’s up to Elias to chose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyy, so this chapter will maybe reveal a few secrets as well as the main point of the collar as well as the contract(s) that go with it. 
> 
> ***WARNING***
> 
> Be warned that Elias does deal with a panic attack this chapter at the beginning, but is quickly comforted.

“I...Er, what—“

The boys all seemed to zone in on Elias as he tried to find the right words to say, but his voice failed him. Truthfully, he had _no idea_ what the hell was happening right now.

Suddenly, voices picked up again between a few of them speaking to each other.

”Wow, the contract is _this_ powerful?” Belphie muttered, earning an apologetic hum from Beelzebub.

”What should we do, Lucifer?” Beel questioned, a worried expression plastered to his face.

”Oi! We?? You ain’t using that contract!” Mammon piped in harshly, not loving the idea of _his_ human under anyone elses control.

Satan scoffed at this, crossing his arms. “Will you be quiet for five minutes, Mammon? It’s not like we have a _choice_ in the matter as to whether we’re chosen masters or not.”

Elias, who was listening quietly, slowly began to speak again to grab onto some semblance of what was happening, confusion fogging his head.

”I— I don’t really ge—“

”Enough.”

Finally, Lucifer held his hand up to silence the rest of them, just as Elias had tried to talk.

His mouth dried out mid sentence, and his voice went still. He couldn’t do _anything._ And feeling like his body wasn’t his was one of the scariest feelings he’d ever felt before.

Although the command wasn’t meant for the human, it seemed that any command not directly stated to someone else, Elias followed. Even worse so, when he tried to fight it, the pain was _awful_. It was as if he got the worst migraine and sharp body aches in his life when he disobeyed, whereas obeying felt _so, so good._ But that didn’t stop him from trying to fight nonetheless. He didn’t want to just give in to this— this— unknown _power_ that gripped him as if he was nothing. The pain that followed was a pretty good deterrent, however.

Lucifer continued, turning his attention to Elias, arms crossed over his chest with authority in his voice as he spoke.

”Elias, stand up and tell us _exactly_ what happened tonight.”

Shakily, the boy stood. His face still glancing at the floor with his voice just above a whisper, trying to fight the pounding pulse that he could feel in his entire body, and his head feeling like it was going to pop.

”..don..kn...”

The eldest’s face didn’t change from previous, but a slight aura of displeasure was present now. ”Look at us, don’t mumble.”

And what the brothers saw when Elias did just that was a shock to them all.

The brunette stood there, his smaller frame trembling as he gasped for air. Sweat that had been building on his body made some of his chestnut locks stick to his forehead. Amber eyes gleamed, cheeks completely red as he made direct eye contact with Lucifer, tears spilling down his face.

”...I don’t know— I don’t, what’s? What...”

The room was pin drop silent, with Elias’s tears rolling off his cheeks, grabbing at his own chest protectively. It felt as if nails were being crushed into his body by a 200 lb weight as he struggled to speak— to _obey_ the command given and clearly articulate what was happening. 

None of the brothers had ever seen him like this before. Hell, _Elias_ had never seen himself like this before.

What felt like a lot longer than it probably was, Asmodeous pushed past his brothers and walked up to the trembling figure before him. Gingerly, the demon placed his hands on Elias’s cheeks, wiping at the tears while also diverting his eye contact from Lucifer to himself.

”Elias, you don’t have to speak if you can’t or do not want to. You don’t have to stand or look at us if you can’t or don’t want to. _You don’t have to do **anything** you can’t or don’t want to.”_

Asmo pulled him into a hug, petting the back of his head, and his soft words were like a blanket to the very overwhelmed human in front of him.

As if on cue, the dams broke, and Elias buried his face into the crook of Asmo’s neck, sobbing softly. Asmo continued to soothe him, letting his body slowly sink to the floor as his legs gave out under himself, cradling Elias in his arms.

The others felt like they should do something, but before anyone could make a move, Lucifer held his hand up, signaling for everyone to remain where they were, and to be silent.

Mammon, Beelzebub and Belphegor wanted to go up and help as well— to comfort the human they’d all come to care for in one way or another. Satan and Leviathan had their own ways of helping, but anything they could offer like reading or games would likely be too overstimulating for the human in his current state. So only the soft cooing from Asmodeous and Elias regaining control of his breathing circulated the room. It stayed that way for 10 minutes or so, no one wanting to make the situation worse with sudden movements.

Slowly but surely, Elias came down from the panic attack. And with Asmodeous’s comfort, he got his breathing underway, no longer feeling that heavy weight he had previously.

Once Asmo felt the boy was stable enough, he pulled back and stood, helping Elias up by his hand as he did. Smiling briefly and wiping some of the hair off to the side that stuck to the brunette’s cheek, Asmodeous turned and let go of his hand.

Instinctually, the boys hand shot out and grabbed back onto Asmo’s. The demon was unfazed, giving a more sympathetic smile, and squeezed his hand back to lead him over to the others.

Things started to feel alright.

••••  
”Contracts?”

”Yes,” Lucifer looked at Elias, all of them now sitting in the common room so it was a bit more comfortable. “and a powerful one at that. It’s more akin to a curse, but witches use these to settle things between those who have bad blood with them without _actually spilling_ any of said blood. Think of it as a civility.”

Nodding to show he understood, he took a glance around the room. Lucifer stood while Mammon, Asmodeous and Levi sat with him on the big couch— still gripping onto Asmo’s hand. Beel and Belphie took the couch adjacent, and Satan sat in his own chair directly across. All eyes seemed to be on him.

”So, what, does that make me like... a servant?”

Mammon spoke up, casually leaning against his hand which was propped up on the arm of the couch. “Nah’, servants can usually quit when they wanna, if they wanna. You’re more lik—“

”You’re like a slave!” Levi added before Mammon could finish, bringing a hand to his mouth as he continued to ramble. “Omg, this is _exactly_ like from the brand new anime that just released: _’I Was Transported To The Future And I’m Slave To The President Even Though There Isn’t A Democracy Anymore But Now I’ve Fallen In Love And I Can’t Get In Touch With My Teammates To Bring Me Back To Year XXXX Where I Truly Belong’!!!”_

Satan rolled his eyes, before shaking his head and letting out a sigh. “That can’t be a real show, Levi. It sounds ridiculous. Besides, it’s more like he’d be a _pet_ , I’d say.” The last bit of that sentence was drowned out, but Elias still caught the smile that crossed Satan’s lips momentarily.

”Yeah, and don’t interrupt! Don’t ya know how rude that is??” Spoke the demon of greed, staring Levi down.

Leviathan furrowed his brow, staring right back. “Eh? That’s got to be a joke, right? You’re worse than anyone here. _Stupidmammon.”_

”Oi!! You little—“

 **”Ahem.”** Once more, the eldest got everyone’s attention, quickly putting an end to the short lived argument.

”Now,” Lucifer adjusted his tone, composure softening ever so slightly when looking at Elias, but all firmness in his voice still present. “If you could tell us what _exactly_ transpired tonight, that would help a great deal. Because things like _this,_ ” he said, holding up the contract, “do not just happen to anyone. This was made by a witch, seemingly with a vendetta. Care to explain how you got mixed up with someone like that?”

”Mm, sounds like something Mammon would get wrapped up in, not you, Elias.” Beel added, with Belphegor nodding in agreement.

”Me?!” Mammon exclaimed, genuinely offended. “Why are you sayin’ it’d be _me_ , huh?”

”Ah, yeah, well... Thing is...” Elias glanced at Mammon apologetically, sheepishly scratching the side of his face in thought of how to break this to them.

••••  
Once everyone was caught up and the situation was explained in detail, Elias fiddled with his hands. He let go of Asmo’s mid explanation to show how the collar wouldn’t budge no matter what, and while he preferred direct contact, being sandwiched between Mammon and Asmo felt secure enough. However, Mammon sat there silently. A look of dread, guilt, anger and annoyance all clouded his face after hearing how this essentially did lead back to him.

”I see.” Lucifer began, now leaning against the arm of one of the other chairs in the room. “So a witch, likely looking to get revenge on Mammon, used you as a form of bait to lure him to the party with the promise of a repaid debt. Without being able to reach Mammon due to the fact his D.D.D was confiscated as punishment for this morning’s transgressions, and a last minute student council meeting this afternoon, you couldn’t contact him. Then you decided to take it upon yourself to go and get the debt back and donned a disguise to look like Mammon, doing this to deter them from asking questions— that way they’d simply give the debt to you, which didn’t work, got baited into a poker match in the process, and now... this.” Disappointment was in Lucifers eyes when he got to the last part, but he tried to not berate Elias too much for it. Meanwhile, Mammon’s fists balled tightly the more he heard.

“I would think you’d know by now,” he continued, “to not go out to unknown places without one of us present. While we want you to be comfortable with your stay here, need you be reminded how dangerous this place is for a human?” While talking, Lucifer took slow strides across the room. Once in front of the brunette, his eyes locked on Elias’s own, expression once again firm with disappointment and a hint of assertion. “ _This is the **Devildom** , Elias.”_

Unable to take too much scolding, while it was well deserved, it hurt much more than it would normally. This newfound feeling of submission made sure any disappointment was amplified.

”I’m really sorry. I’m sorry to all of you, for causing this much trouble. Mammon, I—“ When he turned to face the demon of greed, the weight grew heavier. Genuine distress radiated off the second born, and he refused to make eye contact.

”...Humans are so stupid.” He muttered to himself, making Elias’s heart sink.

A blindingly swift hand came down onto Mammon’s head, hitting him.

”OW!! What the hell?!”

Belphie, now standing next to where Mammon sat, was the culprit. His eyes had a steely look in them, but he was trying to show compassion for his brother in the most obtuse way. “Alright, I think Elias gets it now. No need to make him feel even worse.”

Bringing a hand up to his own head, Mammon rubbed at the spot that was hit, clearing his throat as he realized what Belphie meant. “Yeah, yeah.”

Lucifer, pleasantly surprised that he wasn’t who had to discipline Mammon for once, turned his attention back to Elias. “Ah, I agree. It seems as if he understands. And crying over metaphorically spilt milk won’t do anything for us.”

”Sooo, now what?” Asmodeous spoke, eyes flickering between them all. “It’s not like this is something that can just be nulled and voided, right?”

”No, it can’t.” Satan chimed in, standing, as he walked over to the rest. “According to this, the contract is absolute with no way to back out. The only way to break its effects is to complete the requirements given.” A frown filled with annoyance crossed his face, deep in thought. “I’ll look more into it, but as I can recall in the laws regarding magic contracts, this is legitimate. Whoever made this clearly didn’t want _someone_ worming his way out of the intended responsibility it imposed.”

Normally, Mammon would react to chastising like that, but this time he stayed silent, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

”So,” Beel swallowed the spoonful of mac and hell-sauce cheese from the bowl he was practically inhaling, continuing quickly so he could take another bite. “there’s nothing we can do?” which elicited a frown from Elias in response.

”As of now, no. It seems as if this must be followed through.” Satan responded, displeasure still evident on his features. “The only one who would know of any way to break this is the witch who made it herself. And since Elias didn’t get her name—“

”That means we can’t track her...” The boy sighed, staring down at the floor.

”Unfortunately.” Satan finished, glancing to Mammon who had been uncharacteristically quiet this entire time. “Unless you remember a name to go with the face Elias described?”

Movements frozen, Mammon huffed in response before actually answering. “No, okay? Not right now— but, I will!...” He turned towards Elias, with a determination the human hadn’t ever seen him show before. “Elias, I _will_ figure this out, okay? Don’t you forget that!”

The memory of Mammon telling the human to not let anyone but him protect Elias from so long ago flashed through his mind, and the brunettes’ cheeks turned a slight red, only managing to nod in response.

”Hmmm~ That’s so sweet!” Asmo’s interest was piqued, draping his arms over Elias in a teasing way while looking directly at his elder brother. “So protective~”

”O-oi! That’s not it, okay?!” Of course, Asmo’s teasing was immediately deflected by Mammon, and he crossed his arms. “I just take responsibility for this! It’s what I do!”

”LOLOLOL” Levi both spoke that out loud, and proceeded to genuinely laugh. “You being responsible? That’s like, rarer than an UR card from the hit new mobile game _‘Listen To Me!’_! ROFL”

Before Mammon could rebuttal, Belphegor spoke. “So... what do we do now, then?”

“One of two things as of this moment,” Lucifer’s hand brought the contract up to read as Mammon and Levi continued to softly bicker.

”The first being that Elias remains... submissive, until his debt is paid. However, it seems that since he doesn’t owe anyone a monetary value in the Devildom, the contract substituted the next best thing; which would be to repay our kindness, protection and hospitality, so to speak.”

”Which is impossible, because I’m human, so protecting you all to the degree you’ve done for me would be—“

”A death sentence.” Satan calmly stated.

”Correct.” Lucifer continued, “So this would mean you would have to wait out the time until you’re done in the Devildom, remaining subservient to us with all penalties that come with the contract if you do not. This would go on until your time here has run out, and you go back to the human world.”

Gripping his chest, Elias recalled that feeling of helplessness. And he would have to endure that, at random, for _months?_ No, thanks.

”So... What’s the second option, then?” He looked up, hopeful.

But the room fell silent. Leviathan and Mammon had stopped bickering at this point.

Individually, Mammon seemed to have a blush creeping up his face, refusing to look directly at Elias.

Leviathan shifted in his seat, looking back at his game, but clearly not truly invested like he would be normally. He looked excited, also blushing, but maybe a little uncomfortable as well.

Asmodeous was smiling just as before, but this time it was coy, and he could see... something, as he stared back. It wasn’t just playfulness, it was much more than that.

Beelzebub wasn’t blushing, nor did he look uncomfortable, but made direct eye contact with Elias when looked at. He had— hunger? He looked... very hungry.

Belphegor kept a level head, but he was smiling in his direction, maybe looking a bit deeper in his eyes than just his usual intrigue, searching for reaction.

Satan had on that cold smile that _never_ failed to be the precursor to something mischievous, the same one he would have when he knew he got under Lucifers skin, but this time it was multiplied with a darkness lingering in his gaze.

Lucifer...

Lucifer had an undoubtedly, completely unmistakable look of sadism lurking under the surface of his expression. Like a predator sizing up his prey.

Never before had the human felt more like he was the center of attention. Which, being the center of attention in a room filled with pretty much **_the seven most powerful demons ever—_** Suffice to say, it’s ~~extremely~~ a little intimidating.

Though, if Elias didn’t know them all to the extent he did now, he would likely not pick up on this as well as he had. And despite the clear change of atmosphere, he surprisingly wasn’t scared. Just curious.

Finally, Lucifer held the paper out to Elias.

”You may want to read it for yourself.”

••••

**This document is to be delivered to any and all Master(s) that the wearer owes debt to. You as well as your wearer are subject to the following until contract completion.**

**Section I : Effects;**

_Effects of the collar are immediate upon placement._

_Wearer of the collar will have complete authority over themselves given to those whom they are currently indebted to at time of the contract being made. The number of those in authority over the wearer, otherwise known as the wearers “Master(s)”, “Owner(s)” or “Person(s) in charge” is uncapped and therefore completely dependent on whom the wearer owes a debt to at time of contract confirmation._

_The effects of the contract cause it’s wearer to feel absolute submission to those who assume the title as “Master” or otherwise absolute authority over the wearer, with painful physical repercussions if disobeyed. The wearer can disobey, but not without lack of effect, which will last until outside of their Master(s) 500 ft proximity or the original request is fulfilled._

_Being more than 500 ft from all of the wearers’ Master(s) causes physical penalty on the wearer themself. Penalties include sluggishness, lack of breath, dizziness, and head pain. Alternatively, being nearby to their Master(s) creates a physical sensation of warmth, comfort, safety and alertness, usually resulting in the feeling of happiness being invoked due to this. As a sliding scale, the effects will increase and decrease depending on the distance the wearer is to their Master(s)._

_Collar effects strengthen the longer the collar is worn. Wearer may lessen effects with consistent and gradual repayment._

_A wearer can not remove the effects, and they are permanently applied until the collar is removed. See Section III ; Contract Completion for further details._

**Section II : Specifications;**

_Consent between the Master(s) and wearer lies in the debt itself, forming a bond to the contract that makes it binding._

_Wearer nor Master(s) may nullify the contract without demands of the contract being met. Secondhand repayment (ie: repayment that is given directly as a gift, under unnatural circumstances or otherwise repayment obtained outside of the wearers actual ability) will not be considered completion._

_Debts will be paid in full, completely, and only when each debt is completed shall the effects of the collar be released._

_The wearer can not be subject to any order that is sexual, mentally or physically traumatic or otherwise life endangering in nature. These are the only basis of which the collar will not effect it’s wearer when ordered.* (See Section IV ; Alternative Repayment for further details.)  
_

_Master(s) retain complete right to do with the wearer as they please only limited to the stipulation directly above this text.  
_

**Section III : Contract Completion;**

_Contract completion will only be obtained when debt is completely repaid, upon which all effects of the collar are released and the wearer no longer needs to be subservient to their Master(s)._

_Aside from death, unreachable territory or impossibility of communication these standards apply._

_When contract is completed, all subservience is dropped, and the wearer as well as the Master(s) may have no further contact without penalty to the wearer if they so chose._

**Section IV : Alternative Repayment;**

_As the only other form of completing this contract besides that stated above, the rules apply below._

_The wearer may be released from the contract if they so chose to undertake this challenge, which must be completed for each and every Master the contract is applied to for effect to take place._

_For one week exactly (7 days; 168 hours) without breaks or intermission of any kind, the wearer must give **complete submission to one Master.**_

_This will apply to a single Master at a time, each needing their own individual week of complete subservience to nullify the contract, therefore successfully completing the alternative route of debt repayment._

_In only this section, * **wearers will not be protected from previous requirements stated for formal debt repayment.**_

_In other words, no rules apply to the orders the wearers Master(s) give._

_The Master(s) of the wearer will be allowed to request whatever they desire so long as the wearer is within reasonable means to actually achieve it, and the wearer will have a five minute grace period to begin and/or complete what was asked of them. If this task is not achieved before then, the week time limit will reset._

_So long as the wearer is in agreement to these terms, they must read this statement out loud in the presence of their Master;_

_”I, (Wearer Name), dedicate the next 168 hours of my life to (Master Name), and pledge complete servitude without reservation under any circumstance. I will follow out my Masters’ wishes without hesitation, and should I fail to do so, any time spent previously under my Alternative Repayment will be null and void.”_

_The Master, should they also agree, must read this statement out loud in presence of their wearer;_

_”I, (Master Name), agree to not withhold any desire I may ask of (Wearer Name), and so long as it is within their reasonable limitations, expect them to be completed swiftly and as accurately to originally asked as possible. I am aware this time limit is for 168 hours, under which, (Wearer Name) will be completely within the realms of my control without any rules applied. If (Wearer Name) fails to do what I request with that previously stated, all time previously under their Alternative repayment will be null and void.”_

_The wearer must be aware of any and all life threatening dangers prior to requests and has the right to opt for formal debt repayment at any time. Should they chose to retry alternative debt repayment again, they will do so knowing all previous attempts do not apply to the hours in total served to their Master(s) in the current attempt._

_Wearers will feel the physical pain applied to resisting requests the same way they would with formal debt repayment, now also applied to the above requests that are voided outside of alternative debt repayment._

____  
  
Needed consent to participate in this agreement is automatically applied once the wearer has on the collar linked with the contract, bonding them to their Master(s). Therefore, no formal signature is required.

____

_••••_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.  
> Elias is certainly in for it now, huh?  
> I promise, smut will be coming soon!  
> Please let me know how you’re liking it so far, it helps to motivate me to keep writing ♥️!
> 
> Also, I figured Asmo would be best to calm down Elias because considering the amount of kinky stuff he /must/ be into, he has probably helped partners out of a panic attack once or twice. Scenes don’t always go as planned, despite how well prepared you are, so knowing how to soothe your partner is very important. But, ultimately, I do think Asmo would be able to recognize the signs the earliest out of all of his brothers— which is why his role was pretty important this chapter.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you’re enjoying the story so far! Thank you for reading!


	3. Please Hold Me, But Don’t Scold Me!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers give Elias space to decide what he wants to do, but Elias is more so worried about becoming so incredibly needy due to the collar. Barely wanting to be in his room by himself, he’s cautious to lean on the brothers for too much support, not wanting to cause more trouble for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias is going to be a bit more needy from now on, which isn’t how I originally wrote him— but the collars effects do not play by his rules, unfortunately. Surprisingly, for a fic that I thought of based off of smut purposes, there’s a lot of fluff inspo.

The brothers could practically count down to the second Elias realized what the second option meant.

Honestly though, could anyone blame him? Being completely at the mercy of the brothers with no escape is cause for intense embarrassment, he’d say.

Groaning softly, Elias held the contract back out to Lucifer, using his other hand to try and hide the blush that was currently spreading all the way to the tips of his ears.

Lucifer took the contract, while Elias was breaking everything down in his head. Maybe he was overreacting?

”Well, I mean, that’d be fine, right?” He muttered,

Mammon almost choked, an equally red blush donning his cheeks, and grabbed Elias by the shoulders.

”Huh?!? No, it wouldn’t!”

“I mean— yeah, it should? It’s... It says this on paper, but it will only apply if there’s any actual desires like that.” The brunette let out a dry laugh, and cleared his throat. “Which— I mean, it shouldn’t apply, right?”

The room shifted in mood again, all of them sharing glances with one another. Asmo was the first to talk.

”Ahhh.. Elias, dear, you’re very cute when you’re confused but even this is a but much.”

”Yeah, seriously.” Levi muttered. “Are you this dense, or are you trying to toy with us? And if you are, that’s so not fair.”

”Hey!!” Mammon shook Elias by the shoulders to get his attention again, and the human blinked at him, a little bewildered at what he was hearing.

Mammon was red as can be, but gripped the boys shoulders possessively. “Don’t be this stupid, jeez!! Take this seriously and think about what you’re gonna say!”

”For once, I agree with Mammon, Elias.” Lucifer grabbed his attention, crossing his own arms. “This is something you should think over first. Don’t make any rash decisions.” His eyes narrowed, a smirk on his lips. “You may not be prepared for what happens if you don’t take this under serious consideration.”

Completely flabbergasted, all Elias could do to respond was nod, feeling his whole body grow hot.

_‘So that means...?’_

Thinking to himself and trying to alleviate the suspicion of the answers he received, the dull murmurs of all of the brothers chattering acted as white noise.

••••  
”Thanks for taking me back to my room.”

Embarrassing enough to have the collar front and center for all to see, the physical pain when the boys got too far away from him made it that much worse.

”Don’t mention it.” Lucifer responded, standing just outside the brunettes doorway. “You’ll manage alright, I’m assuming?”

”Oh, yeah.” He responded to the demon, absentmindedly nodding. “I mean, you guys have to be pretty far for it to be any real pain, and we all live in the same house, so..”

”That’s true.” Lucifer cracked a small smile at the cautious analyzations Elias made regarding everyones distance. 

Originally, Mammon wanted to walk Elias back, but Lucifer was worried he would try to influence his decision in some way and left the others to make sure everyone got to where they needed to be. Lucifer was nice to walk with him instead, though, Elias thought.

”Well, if that’s all, I’ll leave you so you can sleep.” The black haired man nodded politely, while reaching to close the door. “Goodnight Elias.”

Again, on instinct, Elias reached out and grabbed for Lucifers hand, also happening to grab his forearm in the process. After a few seconds of Lucifer staring at him patiently, Elias came back to his senses and quickly let go, stepping back.

”I’m sorry! Sorry. I can’t really— I don’t control it well yet.” Sheepishly looking at the floor, _anywhere_ but Lucifer’s face, he hummed as a way to dismiss the boys worries, going to shut the door once more. With the door almost closed, and Lucifer’s back now turned, he spoke once more.

”Elias.”

The brunette looked up, staring at the back of his head in curiosity. “Yes?”

”Think over this _carefully._ You may not realize it, but assuming a demons desires...” Glancing back, that look of sadism danced around Lucifer’s eyes, but his face was serious as he locked his gaze with the human. “They’re not something to place bets on.”

Elias was blushing once more, and nodded cautiously in understanding. Without another word, the door clicked shut, and he was alone.

Elias pressed his body against the door, and he could _feel_ Lucifer get farther and farther away. The pain wasn’t even close to as intense previously in the evening, but it did make him shift uncomfortably.

Sighing to himself, he let his back slide down the door to the floor and hugged his knees, trying his best to ignore the light throbbing pain coursing through his body. After a few minutes and coming to the concrete realization that it wasn’t going to go away, he begrudgingly got up and put on a t-shirt and pajama pants, hugging his pillow tightly to his chest.

After what seemed like forever, he drifted off into another restless night of sleep.

••••

“ _Mm.. Hurts.. Hurts..”_

In his dream, he found himself wandering the halls of The House Of Lamentation. He couldn’t really tell what he was looking for, but his body seemed to know exactly where it wanted.

” _Hurt..s..”_

Panting softly, that restless feeling as if he was slipping in and out of consciousness was coming in waves.

Suddenly, though, his body slumped over. And it that dull ache hurt a little less.

He didn’t dream anymore that night.

••••

“ _..i...s..”_

_..._

_”El..as..”_

_..._

_”Elia..s”_

_..._

_”_ Elias!!!”

Woken out of his slumber, Elias felt very cold, a voice pulling him awake. “Mm, huh? Yes?”

”What— why are you here?” The voice responded.

”Wha?”

Coming back to reality, Elias propped himself up, taking in his surroundings.

He was in the hallway?

No, specifically—

“Hey, did you hear me? Are you still asleep? Whyyy are you hereee?”

Levi’s face was closer to his now, the voice that woke him identified.

”I.. Um, I don’t really know.”

Skeptical, Leviathan crouched down, narrowing his eyes. 

“Did you sleep here? Outside my room?”

Glancing at the doorway Levi was standing in, sure enough, he had been slumbering right in front of his room.

”I suppose so.. I didn’t mean to, though! I don’t even really remember how I got here to be honest. I think it was..” The brunette lifted his hand, touching the collar lightly.

Levi picked up what he meant, and he looked a bit impressed. ”Ehh? Wow, that’s some dedication. Reminds me of waiting outside all night to get a super rare midnight edition exclusive release. But even then, people usually at least bring a chair or blanket to stay comfortable.” The otaku frowned, and pulled him up by an outstretched hand.

”Well, it’s not like I had planned to sleep outside of your room. I guess I sleep walked and ended up here.”

”And you... Came to _my_ room?” Leviathan mumbled, face going a little pink.

”Oh, well— I mean, you’re closest, so that’s probably why?”

”What? That’s the only reason?” A wave of disappointment fell over his face, clouded with a veil of envy. “So you wouldn’t have come if you knew it was _my_ room then?”

”No, no— You know I wouldn’t do that.” Elias sighed, trying to bring the demon back down, smiling softly to ease his nerves. “You were the one who calmed me down enough so I could sleep. I’m grateful your room is so close.”

The blush returned a bit stronger than before to Levi’s face, and he hid a small smile behind his hand. “Ah, really?” Shaking his head to come back to reality, he brought his hand away from his face, muttering to himself. “Just come in next time instead of sleeping on the floor. I’ll probably be up gaming anyway.”

Elias felt himself blush now. Aside from the fact that he didn’t really have control of what he did while asleep, he also would be a little mortified if he found out he just went into someones room in the middle of the night without knowing he was doing so. Regardless, he just nodded, still too groggy to have the energy on explaining why that wasn’t the best idea.

”Come on.”

Levi grabbed Elias’s wrist, gently pulling him along. “You need to get changed.”

”I can— I can walk back alone, Levi! Weren’t you going to breakfast?”

”It’ll hurt if you’re alone, right? I’m not really hungry anyway. I was just going to play some apps, so I’ll wait for you.”

Elias didn’t have much of a choice as it was, seeing how they had already made it halfway to his room. So he just rolled with it.

But he wasn’t expecting to find Mammon standing outside his door, waiting for him, playing on his D.D.D.

With the sound of his and Levi’s approaching footsteps, Mammom glanced up. The look of fluster on his face _clearly_ gave him the wrong idea.

”Yo—You!! Why are you with _him?!”_

”Mammon, it’s not a big dea—“

”Elias came to my room last night because it hurt them to be away.” Levi turned to him for confirmation. “Right?”

_‘Did you really have to word it like that???’_

Choosing his words carefully, Elias cleared his throat. “I slept _outside_ of your room last night. Because I sleep walked. That’s _all.”_

Mammon calmed after hearing that, but Levi clearly found his older brothers reaction hilarious, snickering. “Lol, you’re suuuuuccccchhhh a tsundere.”

”What the hell is that? Whatever it is, no way!” Mammon barked back. “Not ta’ mention I have a _damm_ good reason to worry! I’ve seen some of the games you play!”

Levi blushed, taken off guard.

”Wh-what do you mean?!” 

Mammon smirked at having a little leverage now. “Whas’ it called? ‘ _Ruri-chan’s tentacle adventure’?_ ”

The purple haired boy got even hotter, covering his ears. “AUGHHHH! Shut up shut up shut up!! They’re _so_ _carefully hidden!_ How did—“

Mammon stilled, gulping, as Levi came to the realization at what was done.

” ** _YOU SCUMBAG!_** _You were going through my things **again?!**_ ”

”Ahahaha..” The white haired demon shrugged, pursing his lips. “Nah, nope— Dunno what ya’ mean by that. Wait— who are you calling a scumbag?! I’m yer’ older brother!! _Show some respect!”_

Leviathan was fuming, and he quickly retorted with venom in his voice. “ _Ohhh,_ you’re _something_ alright! Worse than scum! A complete _idiot!_ Privacy invader! S-C-U-M-B-A-G!”

Quietly and quickly, Elias slipped away, leaving them to bicker and going into his room to change before it got any uglier. Levi had loosened his grip enough when arguing with Mammon that he got away with ease, but he still felt bad with the lack of contact. Now in his uniform, Elias inspects himself in the mirror. The bulky black restraint around his neck wasn’t exactly something he could hide, so he flipped it around, making the O ring sit underneath the collar of his shirt rather being up front and center.

”I guess that looks a little better... Better than before, at least.”

Resigning to the fact that it just be something he dealt with, the boy made his way back out to the hallway to walk down to the dining room between both arguing brothers.

••••  
”Sleep walking?” Lucifer questioned after hearing about what happened last night.

”Yeah— but it was probably a one time thing. I didn’t sleep well the night before.”

Elias had to come clean when Lucifer inquired— Er, assertively insisted to know is a better way to put it— about why the brothers started to fight, though the human really didn’t think it was anything to worry over.

”While I know you’d like to think this isn’t a big deal, we can’t ignore that this started right after yesterdays events.” The eldest added. “In any case, we’ll discuss is more later this afternoon.”

Elias nodded, going back to picking at his food.

The rest of the table was lively, and while he could feel that everyone wasn’t exactly acting normal, he was grateful that he didn’t feel out of place. Absentmindedly he lifted a hand to the collar on his neck. Maybe he had overreacted before? Last night was certainly jarring, but the shock likely caused his reaction more than the collar did. Was this ‘Alternative Debt Repayment’ even necessary?

Apparently, he’d been in his own world for awhile, because when he snapped back to reality everyone was getting ready to go. Quickly, Elias followed them out.

_’It should be fine. I don’t want to be the cause for fights or ruin my relationship with anyone— I can get through this. I probably won’t even notice the collar after a few days.’_

With those encouraging thoughts in his head, he went off to school.

••••  
This.

_Sucked._

Elias was in his ancient history class, agonizing at his desk. This was one of the only classes without one of the brothers in it. Sure, he had Solomon, Simeon and Luke— but none of _them_ were his _Masters._

A heat rose to his cheeks as Elias embarrassed himself with his own thoughts. 

‘ _Did you really just call them your masters? Ugh.’_

In the midst of his own self loathing, he felt a hand tap his shoulder. Simeon stared at the brunette, a worried expression on his face.

”Is everything alright, Elias? Do you feel ill?”

”He certainly looks it.” Luke added. “Did you eat their demon food? I told you that you shouldn’t _ever_ touch the stuff! Starving is better tha—“

”Luke.” Simeon brought everyones attention back to him, but was still being sure to whisper out of consideration for those around them trying to pay attention.

”Thanks, both of you. I’m okay. I think.. I think I just need some water. If you’ll excuse me.”

While Elias appreciated their sincerity in wanting him to be okay, he wasn’t in the best mood to be questioned. Besides, only one— no, seven things could make him feel better right now. But at least getting some air could be a distraction.

After excusing himself from the class, he catches Solomon staring him down only for a moment before the heavy door shut.

••••  
Elias had never actually tried to look for a water fountain in RAD before, but it was becoming more and more clear that there may not be one. So instead, he just aimlessly wandered, trying to ignore the pain and really think about this situation he got himself stuck in.

”If I could just find that woman again..” Sighing to himself, the brunette went over everything, trying to bring the contact to memory.

His only options were to continue as he is now, having waves of misery and warmth as an on and off roller coaster— risking being a burden for the boys to deal with, since he’s sure they’d have to watch their tongue and be more guarded as to not invoke this newfound side the collar bestowed upon him. That, or...

Elias rubbed his temples.

‘ _Wearers will not be protected from previous requirements stated for a formal debt repayment.’_

So anything would be game.

From asking him to make tea to asking him to jump off a goddamn cliff— anything.

Though Elias knew they wouldn’t put him in any _real_ danger. He did trust those brothers, but the part that got him was the... sexual side of it all.

Originally, he would have never guessed that _any_ of them would be interested in him like that. Truthfully, he wasn’t purposely being dense. But thinking of the crushes and stolen glances and sometimes _extremely inappropriate_ fantasies being something Elias hadn’t been imagining himself— he didn’t want to get any false hope.

But now there was sleep walking, and _pain,_ and he was pretty sure they inadvertently confirmed that they all did want him in a more intimate way.

So many variables to think about. It all felt a little overwhelming.

But at least it did seem like the walk helped to ease the pain.

Sighing, the brunette finally looked up, pushing the door back open to his classroom.

And froze in place.

••••  
_‘This... Is **not** my class.’_

A man at the very front, presumably the professor, spoke up to break the silence.

”May I help you young man?”

”Uh..” His heart was beating so hard, it felt like it was about to burst. “I—“

”Elias?”

A very tall, and very welcomed familiar face stood up from the father end of the room, quickly followed by one other.

”Beel.. Belphie..”

As the two walked over to him, Elias felt his core melt, and his body relaxed. So _that’s_ why he wasn’t in pain. Not because he used logic to sort out his problems, no, because the _stupid magic collar led him to two of the seven things he wanted earlier._

**_Without letting him know._ **

Clearly flustered, the twins excused themselves along with Elias, saying it was student council business.

Once all of them were out in the hall, they led the human over to a bench at the far end.

Elias, too embarrassed to say anything, kept his head down the entire way. Thankfully, the two didn’t pry while walking there.

Feeling a squeeze on his left hand, he heard Beel gently give him an order.

”Sit here.”

Without question, his body moved before his mind, and Elias sat in the middle of the bench. Glancing up, he hadn’t realized that at some point, he’d grabbed onto Beel’s right hand and Belphies left. Flustered, he snatched his hands back, wondering how this could get any worse.

”I’m sorry, I didn’t— I mean, I wasn’t aware that—“

Failing to find a proper sentence to fit the humiliation coursing through his veins, right now his words fell flat.

Belphegor and Beelzebub, however, didn’t seem to mind. Belphegor clearly found it a tad amusing if not endearing, and Beelzebub had pulled out a chip bag from his pocket— assumingely using this impromptu break as a snack time.

”Lemme guess,” Belphie chuckled, leaning back to rest one arm along the back of the bench. “The collar led you to us without you realizing?”

As if his mind had been read, Elias ignored the sudden burst of warmth he felt from Belphies arm brushing his back against the bench and cocked an eyebrow, glancing towards Belphegor’s direction. “How did you—“

Again, as if knowing what he was going to say, the raven haired boy shrugged while stifling a yawn.

”Cause you’ve never done _this_ before. And the only common denominator,” Belphie reached forward, and he pulled on the O ring lightly. “is this.” Clearly entertained by this all, he let go of the ring, smile growing a bit larger.

Elias’s face grew hotter by the second, and when Belphie released the O ring, he made quick work to spin it back around so it was hidden under his shirt once more. The weight of the metal must have been slowly dropping back into a front facing position towards Elias’s chest this whole time, since he had turned it hours before.

_’That explains why everyone started staring at me towards the middle of the day.’_

But nothing could have beat walking in on a class that wasn’t his own to see his _‘Masters’,_ so any embarrassment from realizing the O ring had been visible nearly half of the time he’d been at school, frankly, took a backseat. 

As Elias sat there and tried to regain composure, he felt Beel’s hand on his. Glancing up to those vibrant violet eyes made Elias’s body relax from it’s tensed position.

”You don’t have to.”

”Mm. I know. But it feels better when we do, right?” Beelzebub’s free hand was bringing his seemingly third bag of chips now to his mouth— ‘ _where the hell were they coming from anyway’—_ with his other hand gripping Elias’s firmly.

Elias couldn’t argue with that. It really, _really_ did feel better. And the emotional ups and downs of the day had him feeling exhausted, so this was a nice respite.

”Beel, let’s go there, hm?” Belphie chimed in.

”Ah. Yeah, sure, I need to refill anyway.”

Without filling him in, they both stood, Beelzebub taking Elias with him since his hand was still grasping the smaller boys own.

Belphegor took his place opposite to Elias that Beel was on, not taking his hand, but standing as close as he could while still walking comfortably.

Soon enough, they all arrived at what seemed to be an office. A pretty lavish one, too. Right outside and down the hall was a snack machine, next to a soda machine. Obviously Beelzebub was talking about that when he said ‘refill’, but he made sure that both Belphie and Elias were comfortably seated on the leather sofa before leaving.

With Elias in the middle again and as soon as Beelzebub left the room, Belphegor placed a hand on the side of the humans head, bringing it down to rest on his shoulder.

The brunette began to protest. “Belphie, you don—“

“ _Shh._ Relax.”

Without any hesitation, Elias was silenced. He probably would have protested more in any normal situation, but he was ordered to listen. Plus, he genuinely did love this feeling. This very safe, very warm feeling.

Unlike Asmo, Belphie didn’t pet Elias’s hair with his full hand, opting to just run some fingers through rhythmically where it was on the side of his head.

Before long, the soft petting and sound of Belphies own measured breathing was making Elias’s eyes heavy. He had heard Beel come back into the room, and felt the demons warm hand envelop his own once more. But that was all he managed before drifting off to sleep.

••••

_Three muffled voices sound out in Elias’s dream._

_1) “Yeah... He wasn’t...And then... tired, I guess.”_

_3) ”I see... You... Go... Classes... Home...Don’t worry.”_

_2) ”Don’t...to...”_

_3) ”No...I will...”_

_2) “Just...Keep...Yourself, huh?”_

_3) “We will...Influencing him...Do not try me, Bel...”_

_1) “Belphie, let’s... Come on.”_

_A distant sigh echos, and Elias grips onto the warmth that he feels now shifting beside him. After a moment of calm, it peels itself away from his body, causing a barely audible whimper at the cold on his skin. But he doesn’t have the energy to grab again._

_A few more murmurs that he can’t make out reverberate, and then the sound of a door gently closing._

_Subconsciously he was fully expecting the pain to come now, but it never did._

_A moment or two later, a very soft warmth enveloped Elias, and he felt a bigger hand than before petting him. Before long, he’s back to a complete slumber._

••••  
Elias could feel himself snuggled under something heavy and warm, smelling a familiar scent of firewood and cloves.

His eyes opened slowly, and the brunette pushed himself up while recalling his location, since he was now fully laying on the sofa whereas previously he was between two others. Now coming to, he realizes it’s a thick black cloak thrown over his frame, being used like a blanket.

”Beel? Belphie?”

Hearing the sound of a chair being pushed out, Elias turned to see Lucifer calmly going around the front of his desk, leaning up against it to greet you.

”No, they were sent back to class quite awhile ago. And they’re probably home by now.”

”Hm? Wh’times it?” Groggily, Elias reached into his pocket to check his phone, but Lucifer answered before he could.

”4:00 now.”

Sure enough, when the brunette glanced at the window, it was much darker outside than it was when he fell asleep. Of course, the Devildom is always dark, but Elias had been here long enough to tell between their night and day cycle.

Coming back to his senses after hearing the time, Elias looked up to Lucifer, feeling a bit ashamed that he caught him in a vulnerable position like this.

_’So this must be Lucifer’s office...’_

He would have to remember to thank Belphie and Beel for letting quite possibly the last person Elias would want him to see slacking off like this, doing just that.

“..Sorry...” Yet again, he felt as if he was causing trouble.

Lucifer sighed, but he didn’t genuinely seem angry or anything of that sort.

”While I can’t say I’m enthralled hearing of you skipping class, I’m not heartless. No matter what rumors may say otherwise.” A smirk is barely visible across his lips, and he turns to sit back at his desk. “Let me finish this document and we can go home.”

Don’t get him wrong, Elias was grateful, but bewildered at the calm in his tone. “So...You aren’t mad?”

Lucifer had started to write once more, flipping through papers, but realigned his gaze with the boys’ for a moment. “Would you rather I be?”

”Well, no, of course not.”

”Mm. Then don’t worry about it.”

To be honest, the boy wasn’t happy with what seemed to be rather dodgy answers. And it must have shown in his voice. “No, Lucifer— _Tell me_ if you’re disappointed. I can take it, I don’t want to be—”

Once more, Lucifers pen stopped, and the sound of ballpoint against parchment coming to a halt was enough to make the brunette pause. He made direct eye contact with Elias, folding his hands together. The sheer intimidation the demon emitted with such little effort was definitely a bit unnerving.

”Do you think it’s a good idea with how you are currently?”

Elias wanted to say ‘yes’. He wanted to insist that this wouldn’t get the better of him. He wanted to protest special treatment because he _didn’t_ want to cause them all this much trouble. But before Elias could answer, Lucifer continued.

” _I’m **very** disappointed in you, Elias.”_

Lucifers controlled tone was like a punch to the gut meant to inflict as much damage as possible, and pain coursed through the human in its wake. He grabbed at his chest, eyes going wide at how much those words stung his very core. It was enough to make him dizzy, pushing back into the couch so he wouldn’t accidentally tumble over.

While he had been wrapped up in the awful feeling of those 6 words reverberating over and over in his bones, it was subdued, getting enveloped by a warmth once again.

Coming out of his daze, Lucifer was hugging him. It was probably just to counteract the pain, but... That didn’t mean it wasn’t a nice feeling.

Once the demon felt the other was stable enough, he pulled away, staring him down firmly as to get the message across. 

“Know your limitations. That,” he gestures to the collar, “is a reality for you as of right now. And it is _going to get stronger._ You need to prepare yourself for when that time comes.” Lucifer stood again, once more going back to his desk. “I will accommodate your needs in consideration of your condition, so,” he sat back down in his chair, sighing once more. “feel free to come here if you need to. Try to avoid interrupting the others classes if you can, since I’m sure they won’t be able to resist the distraction, and a few of them cannot afford to let _me_ see their grades slip any lower.”

Elias knew why Lucifer was being so harsh, he needed to get the point through his head. But it hurt to think that he was causing so much trouble for them— no, that he _knew_ he was causing so much trouble for them.

“Elias.”

The brunette looked up cautiously, trying to not show worry on his face, although he was sure he wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

He never was good at poker, after all.

Lucifer continued to write away, not fully looking up since he was sure he had the boys full attention regardless of eye contact.

”My brothers would be distracted because they _care_ about you. Don’t let yourself think any different, no matter the circumstance.”

Elias was a bit shocked, but a smile spread across his face. Hugging his knees to his chest, he hummed, appreciating clear effort Lucifer gave to try and comfort him. At least, that’s what Elias choose to interpret it as. 

“You, too?” the human egged on, curious to see how far he could go.

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of the demons lip. “I wonder.”

••••

Once home, it was already dinner time. Lucifer gestured for Elias to go and sit while he himself put some things away.

Listening to Lucifer’s implied suggestion (as well as the hunger raising in his stomach), he went and sat with everyone else. Apparently, his presence was heavily anticipated, for Mammon sprung to his feet as soon as the human walked in.

Fork hanging out of his mouth, the white haired demon pointed to Beel and Belphie accusingly whilst screaming;

_**”DID THEY TOUCH YOU?!”** _

Elias was caught completely off guard, and froze where he stood with his mouth agape. 

Satan, clearly annoyed from being in the presence of someone who would stand up and scream that— let alone be _related to them—_ Looked about as frustrated as the human could expect.

Asmo seemed to be playfully curious, but not shocked, signaling that he must have been talking about this before Elias even showed up.

Levi was trying his best to not let his emotion cloud his face, but it seemed he was equal parts annoyed at Mammon and envious of what had been implied.

Meanwhile, Beelzebub and Belphegor sat next to one another. Beel, as genuine a look of apology he could muster mid-meal, and Belphie was trying his hardest to not _absolutely lose his shit._

Hand covering his mouth and hair covering his eyes, it was clear by Belphegor’s trembling upper body that it was taking _everything_ in him to not burst out laughing.

”I told you, you shouldn’t have worded it that way.” Beelzebub muttered, but his desire to eat overtook his want to dismiss any claims himself.

Clear now to (almost) everyone that Belphie has obviously set up a joke, their attention turned to Elias.

”Ohhh~ But now I want to know what _really_ happened!” Asmo purred, making eye contact with Elias. “Right, Levi?”

”Psh. I don’t need to hear normie gossip.” The otaku muttered, but his eyes still flickered up to glance at the human momentarily before returning to the game full force.

Asmodeous let out a disappointed hum at his lack of reaction, but it was clear to see the relief over Levi’s face now that the situation was clarified.

”Well, _I_ wanna know! Come on, tell me the juicy details!” The demon of lust jeered on.

Satan was still just purely annoyed, probably having known it wasn’t true from the start.

Mammon, though...

”What’d you mean it _isn’t true??_ Did you lie?? Oi! Belphie!!”

Yet Belphegor was still trying to suppress his laughter, and paid no mind to Mammons shrieks.

Funnily enough, Elias could _feel_ Lucifer come into the room before anyone else due to the collar, so he was prepared for what was going to happen next.

The boy sighed, running a hand through his hair.

‘ _Here we go.’_

**”Mammonnnn!”**

••••

Once everyone was, er, settled— for lack of a better word— the table quieted down to an appropriate volume.

Belphie was still smugly grinning in the corner, and Mammon grumbled and whined to himself whilst rubbing his forehead.

”Now,” Lucifer began to speak, “I have something important to discuss.”

Elias was listening, but also somehow even hungrier after hearing that entire ordeal, happily eating away as he did so.

”I’d like to preface this with a warning. The warning being that _anyone_ who even _thinks_ about taking advantage of what I’m about to say will be punished. **Severely.** ”

Of course, everyone glanced at Mammon, and if he hadn’t been put back in his place moments before he may have spoken up. But Lucifer commanded the room right now.

”That being said, with the delicacy of the situation at hand, I’m assuming you’ll take this seriously.”

Elias could read the room. And he knew what Lucifer was going to say. He was going to inform them of what happened at schoo—

“We will all be taking night shifts to stay in the same room as Elias going forward.”

Elias started to cough, and quickly swallowed down his food, surprise still evident on his face.

”Excuse me, what?!”

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, smut will come soon! In the mean time, please enjoy the fluff. ♥️ Also, I apologize for any typos, bad grammar, run ons etc. I’m going through a lot of chapters right now while the inspiration is alive, and proofreading on a small phone screen is difficult after typing for so long. I will go back and fix it eventually, I promise!
> 
> Please do leave comments, they really encourage me to keep the story going. 💕


	4. Sleep In My Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer has made the decision that Elias will be rotating his sleeping quarters with each brother for the time being. Regardless of who goes first, his nerves are on high. So who will it be? And will it or will it not be a peaceful night where they really sleep?...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally easing into the main part of the story! As a quick warning, Elias does jokingly say “kill me” in the first part of this chapter when Lucifer is discussing the sleeping arrangements.

“Whoa, wait! I didn’t know this!” Elias continued his protest, alarmed at what he exactly means.

”Yes, that’s likely because I didn’t tell you.”

_”Lucifer!”_

The witty remark caught Elias off guard, but Lucifer didn’t seem the least bit bothered.

”As I was saying, we will be taking night shifts from here on out. This is due to two reasons. One,” he held up a single digit. “due to recent events, his sleepwalking is cause for concern. I made this decision with his safety ultimately in mind. There is no way of telling as of right now whether while unconscious he’ll inadvertently lead himself into dangerous situations, which is a risk I’d prefer to avoid altogether. Plus, I imagine the thought of waking up in the middle of night alone in the middle of the Devildom isn’t exactly pleasant imagery.” The last bit was obviously specifically aimed at the human as Lucifer in a very roundabout way encouraged Elias to sit and listen. “Or would you disagree?”

Elias was flustered, and while he still didn’t love these decisions being made without his input, sitting back in his seat and hearing Lucifer out was probably the best choice he had in order to stave off any further embarrassment.

Seeing the brunette relent, Lucifer went on.

”Secondly, due to the collar, being apart from all of us at one time causes unrest. So having a sleeping partner will be a solution for two problems. Considering the effects the contract causes, direct touch seems to be the most relaxing—“

_‘Oh god, kill me now. Just fucking do it. Hell would be easier to endure.’_

Elias buried his face in his hands as even the tips of his ears went hot. Lucifer continued his debriefing whilst the human was deciding which rock out front would be best to crawl under.

”Now, any questions?”

Elias thought it was finally over and went to speak up on how utterly ridiculous this all was.

But Mammon beat him to the punch.

”Yeah, I have a few! What he hell is this? Why would he need to do that? Sleeping with one of us every night— That’s ridiculous!”

_’Yes! Yes, Mammon, exactly!’_

”He should just stay with me!”

_’NOOOOOOOO!! Idiot!’_

Elias’s inner dialogue went off as Mammon began a very passionate rant.

” _I_ was the one assigned to help Elias to begin with! _I_ was the first one he made a pact with! And now all of you wanna put your grubby hands on him? Nu-uh, no way!”

”Eh?” Levi began his own monologue to state his displeasure with this arrangement. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. You should be the one that stay with just because you made a pact before us?” Anger arose at the mere thought. “ _I_ was the first one Elias became true friends with! And friendship comes before pacts any day!”

”Hmm, I can’t say I wouldn’t be upset if I didn’t get a turn to have Elias.” Asmo frowned, tilting his head as he thought it over. “Though that’s not to say I wouldn’t mind having him all to myself, either.~”

”Doesn’t it make the most sense for me to have Elias permanently?” Belphie interrupted, glancing at the human. “He seemed pretty comfortable last time he slept with me.”

Mammon locked in on Belphegor, banging his fist on the table. “Oi! Don’t say it that way!”

Belphegor, however, yawned and ignored Mammon before continuing. “Besides, it’s kinda _in my title._ Avatar of Sloth?”

Beelzebub frowned, shaking his head.

”No, Belphie. It’s already hard enough trying to wake you up. If you add Elias into that, you’d just stop going to RAD altogether.” Pausing for a moment, the tall demon glanced at the human, a smile tugging at his lips. “But if you want to sleep in our room in my bed with me, that would be okay. You fell asleep quickly when I held your hand, so it should be fine, right?”

”You’re all ridiculous.” Satan finally chimed in, sighing. “Do you all forget that you’d be with him for the whole evening? You don’t spend the entirety of after school just sleeping. Many other activities come into play; and since Elias and I have the most in common, of course he’d be most relaxed simply staying in my room.”

The conversation devolved completely, no one really listening to anyone besides themselves. Getting his nerve up once more, the human cleared his throat. “Guys!” Luckily, he spoke up before anyone started screaming.

”Aren’t you forgetting something? You don’t get to make this choice!”

”Well put, Elias.” Lucifer added, smirking. “And neither do you. My decision on this is final.”

The human wanted to fight back, but the collar made Lucifers words feel absolute and without room for challenge.

That didn’t stop Mammon, however.

”I still don’t like this idea _at all.”_

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not the one making the call, now is it?” Lucifers retorted.

The second born muttered to himself as he slumped back into his seat.

”But— What if I want to sleep in my room? In my bed?” Figuring he would try to reason with him once more, Elias mustered a charismatic smile, nerves on edge from advocating for himself for a final try. “I wanna be comfortable sleeping too.”

Lucifer eyed the smaller boy. “That will be something you will need to discuss with your sleeping partner, of course.” Elias’s pleas fell on deaf ears, the demon refusing to give even an inch. “However,” Immediately, the human perked up, listening intently. “your bed is the smallest in the house albeit for Leviathan’s. As my personal suggestion, choosing the bed that will fit you both most comfortably is the more attractive option.” The cold smile on his lips easily overpowered Elias’s own.

This was a lost battle.

Giving into Lucifer’s demands, the brunette leaned forward towards the table to prop his face against his hand.

”Now that everyone is in agreement—“ Lucifer made direct eye contact across the table with one of his brothers.

”Beelzebub. You’ll be Elias’s sleeping partner for tonight.”

Beel didn’t outwardly show much excitement, but his smile was genuine and warm.

”That’s all. I’ll send a list in the order of who’s turn it will be tomorrow morning.”

Without another word, Lucifer left the room.

Beelzebub stood from his seat, the small mountain of plates that he had created were stacked so high that just wiggling seemed to threaten toppling them.

Elias stood as well, and before he got a chance to say anything, his hand linked with Beel’s own.

”Come on. We’ll grab your things first.”

As Elias was led out of the dining room, his mind brought back the image of the look he was giving off last night when speaking of the contract and the hunger behind his gaze.

What did he get himself into?

••••

“Come here Elias.”

They were now in the demon’s room. Having made a quick stop by Elias’s own, only having to grab his pajamas, uniform for the morning and toothbrush, he was carrying light.

The order had Elias walking towards him as soon as they dropped out of Beel’s mouth. While Beelzebub didn’t tell him to stop, he seemed to have realized his poor choice of wording.

”Ah, sorry. I forgot.” The taller of the two of them took Elias’s things from his hands, putting it all down on his desk before returning and pulling Elias up on the bed, their shoes already taken off when they originally entered.

”It’s alright. I’m kinda used to it by now anyway, plus, it feels good.”

”Really?” Beel hummed contently hearing this, placing Elias between his legs and crossing his ankles over one another in front of the human. His arms pulled the other boy back to his chest, propping his chin up by resting it on top of the brunettes’ head. Everything about the demon was like a living and breathing gentle giant. His movements were methodical, and clearly Beelzebub was doing this best to soothe the smaller of the twos’ nerves.

Elias on the other hand was trying his best to ignore the embarrassing sentence he somehow just said out loud. It felt like everything he’d been doing lately was _always_ embarrassing at best, even mortifying at worst. But that’s probably not something he could blame on himself, seeing how he literally sometimes did not have control.

”That’s not what I meant to say..” The brunette sighed, shifting in Beelzebub’s grip, trying to ignore the flush that was now very evident on his face. “I didn’t mean for it to.. sound like that.”

”It’s true though, right? Do you not like it?”

”No! I do like it, I just made it sound—“

”Sound...?”

The worst part is that through this conversation Elias couldn’t turn around to see Beel’s face, so there was no way of telling if he was playing with him or serious. That being said— Beelzebub didn’t really come off as the type to do that, so Elias wasn’t as guarded.

”Sound... I don’t know, dirty?”

Beel picked the weight of his chin off of Elias’s head, uncrossed his ankles, and loosened his grip on the smaller frame. Sensing the shift, the brunette followed his movement as Beelzebub began to try and turn the other in his lap to face him.

_’Great. If it wasn’t embarrassing before, it sure is now.’_

Beel didn’t mention the blush or push buttons though. He just pulled him into another hug, front facing this time.

Elias wrapped his arms around Beelzebub’s broad back, and the demon spoke up.

”Even if it did, none of us would use that against you. We’re doing this because we want to help.”

Slowly the demon pulled back, pink dusting his cheeks. “Maybe for one other reason, but that’s up to you to decide if we act on it.”

Elias couldn’t help but let out s small laugh, his heart beating wildly at how sweet and kind Beel was in his entirety.

”Now the blush it worse.”

The ginger smiled back, staring into the gaze of the small frame in front of him.

”I wasn’t trying to stop that, I was trying to get you to relax.” Doing a quick once over, he took note of how Elias’s body was no longer held tense, his expression genuine. “It looked like it worked. Did it?”

”Mm. Thanks.”

Smiling, the human wrapped his hands back around the other, inhaling his scent as one last breath of tension washed away.

••••

After Elias had a shower and changed into his t-shirt and long checkered pajama bottoms, he walked back out into Beel and Belphies room. Towel drying his hair, he saw Beelzebub on the couch, occupied crunching on some small pile of snacks and a bowl of popcorn.

His pajamas were just long, soft checkered pants and an old black T-shirt with a D20 on the front, but the comfortable clothes and atmosphere created a concoction of happiness that welled within him. Cozy moments like these were what he lived for.

The brunette padded across the room, trying not to disturb, but Beelzebub was probably waiting for Elias to finish because as soon as he heard footsteps he stood up.

”All done?”

”Mhm. I just wanna brush my teeth, but there isn’t any toothpaste left. Did you run out?”

Beelzebub stilled, and maybe it was the lighting, but Elias could have swore he was... blushing?

”No, we didn’t. I just can’t have it in our room.”

”Why?” The brunette raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to the demon in front of him.

The ginger hesitated for a just a moment before explaining.

”Awhile ago Lucifer tried to set a fridge ban because I kept going to get snacks in the middle of the night.” Beel muttered. “And I somehow ended up eating most of the toothpaste in the house.”

Very quickly, Elias’s hand flew over his own mouth as he tried to keep his laughter down. He didn’t want to make Beelzebub feel bad about it, but at the same time, the image of this gigantic person in front of him slamming down tubes of toothpaste over and over as a midnight snack substitution was frighteningly ridiculous imagery.

”You’re laughing.”

Elias shook his head, trying to force the thought out of his mind, his grin visible between his fingers that were still trying to cover up the evidence.

”No, no—“

Elias felt his wrist being gently but firmly tugged away from his face, and Beel’s other hand cupped the other side of his cheek. Beelzebub was now right in Elias’s face, the blush very clear being this close, but there was a seriousness in his eyes.

”Yeah, you are.” Beelzebub muttered, staring Elias down. “I was really hungry, though...”

A bit more aware and brought back to his senses, the human cleared his throat and gently shook his head, but he wasn’t scared. There was still a small smile on his face.

”Okay, I did, but that’s only because I don’t think a human could even manage to do that, so I never really imagined it before. The image was just a shock value type of funny, I promise.”

While Beelzebub had pulled Elias’s hand from his face, he wasn’t holding it captive either. So the human easily was able to take it back. That way he could then place it over the hand Beel was using to cup his face.

”I’m sure you were very hungry. And considering I’ve seen you nearly eat plates before, toothpaste was probably the best option in that moment that you could have settled to use.”

Violet eyes flickered to Elias’s hand now over his own, but the demon made no move to change that.

”I was.” He agreed with a firm nod. “It worked out in the end anyway, because the ban was lifted after that. But that’s when the rule was made so that I can’t have toothpaste in our room anymore. I guess Lucifer didn’t want to chance a repeat, because everyone had to share one tube of toothpaste the next morning. There was a lot of arguing.”

Elias could only imagine the havoc that was caused. All from a shortage of toothpaste.

”And you didn’t get sick?”

”No.” Beelzebub stated. “It tasted like mint chocolate newt ice cream, so it was easy to eat.”

”So then what do you do when you have to brush your teeth?”

Beel wanted to show rather explain, so he grasped the hand that was under his own and grabbed the humans toothbrush with the other before leading Elias to the main shared bathroom down the hall.

”Here.” Beel said, grabbing his own brush from the cup on the sink counter, and quickly rummaging through a drawer to grab toothpaste.

”You’re brushing too? Aren’t you gonna eat more before bed?”

The taller boy responded with only a curt shake of the head. “It’s already pretty late. Plus...” Beelzebub spoke just above a whisper. “When you’re here the hunger isn’t as bad.”

Now Elias was the one blushing. He only managed a nod in response, the both of them brushing their teeth side by side before heading to bed.

••••  
”Beel...” Elias felt strong arms pulling his back closer to Beelzebub’s body, and the demons breath was strong enough to move stray hairs on the top of the humans head each time he exhaled.

Beelzebub was dead asleep, though. He made a point to spoon Elias _as close as possible_ before they fell asleep.

Beelzebub’s reasoning?

’ _I have to hold something when I sleep, and usually hug my other pillow. But you’re using it. And this way you won’t sleepwalk, either.’_

Which, after the initial fluster, Elias was fine with. Honestly, it felt really good and very relaxing being in such close contact. He fell asleep peacefully.

But now, Elias was awake. And his face surely could rival the color of a cherry if compared, heat coursing through his body.

Why?

_Because he could feel Beelzebub’s hard dick pushing against his back through the others pants, that’s why._

Just from the feeling alone Elias could tell it was massive.

” _Beel..”_

The brunette whined out in a strained whisper, because he wasn’t sure if Belphegor had come in to sleep when he and the red headed demon initially had gone to bed. He didn’t want to disturb him. He _also_ didn’t want Belphegor to potentially notice the current predicament Elias was in, because the teasing would be _relentless_.

But Beelzebub didn’t move.

His grip didn’t, at least.

The human could feel the others cock twitching intermittently against the lower half of his back through the fabric of the demons’ pants.

It made Elias subconsciously go to shift his legs, only to be denied due to the fact that those were _also_ being pinned down by Beel’s longer ones.

 _’Get a grip Elias!’_ He desperately tried to calm himself in his own head, but to no avail. _He couldn’t sleep like this._ And doing a rough time estimate, it was probably around 2:00 AM. The alarms are set for 6:30 AM... Would he have to endure this for another 4 1/2 hours??

Even worse than that, Elias could feel his own erection beginning to tent in his pants. Which wouldn’t be so alarming if it wasn’t the fact that one of Beelzebub’s hands was draped over the smaller boys’ waist, dangerously close to his crotch as of current.

‘Beel..”

Elias tried again to wake him enough so he could shift away, but to no avail.

_’Beel.”_

Again, nothing.

Finally, in the most aggressive but hushed whisper he could manage, Elias snapped a little.

_’Beelzebub!”_

_”..Lias..”_ The redhead softly groaned.

Elias sighed in relief at the response. _‘Beel, you have to let me go so I ca—“_

 _”Elias...”_ The human stilled, listening closely... Was he talking in his sleep?

Feeling desperate, he once again tried to wiggle his way out of the others grasp.

_**”Elias.”** _

Suddenly, the demon was very softly rutting against the human, less so his back now and more right over the top of his ass.

The commanding tone in his voice had the brunette still... Was he awake now? Was he doing this purposely?

_**”..Sleep..Elias..”** _

The collar could be advantageous as well, he found out. Because it sounded like a command. So his body followed suit, growing heavy and relaxing in the others grip.

And as Elias dozed off, he was left wondering if Beelzebub was actually asleep or awake.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some spice is finally here, yay! It was very light this time around, but things will get more intense in smut content going forward. So this is like the starting point. Thank you for following along so far! Please do leave comments if you feel the fic is worth doing so, they really encourage me to keep writing. <3
> 
> Also, since we’re now going into the smut side of things, I was wondering everyones opinion. Do you think the brothers should have specific kinks? I decided that Beelzebub would be size kink, due to how ridiculously tall he is, and I already have some others set in stone for some brothers. But I’ve had a few people suggest to me some more dubious kinks. Specifically a Daddy kink for Lucifer was mentioned, and non-con. I want to know everyone’s thoughts, because while I can write that, I know for some they dislike those kink in it’s entirety and would rather not see Lucifer in that role.
> 
> So please do leave your thoughts :) Obviously where the fic goes will be my decision, but I value all of your opinions on this.
> 
> Again, thank you for reading! ♥️


	5. Lust Is Dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The collar is something Elias has to slowly get used to, but the way it amplified lust left the human at a loss. Dealing with these intense feelings, he continues to navigate the new sleeping arrangement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more spice this chapter, and much more to come (no pun intended).

When Elias woke in the morning, he was warm. And the smell around him was so comforting.

Yet it was also short lived.

He must have woken seconds before the alarm was due to go off, because a blaring _beep beep beep_ rang throughout the room.

Groggily, the boy tried to push himself up. But instead, he felt Beelzebub tighten his arms around him in a possessive way hold.

”Morning.”

Beel muttered, clearly awake but taking a moment to relish in the warmth of his bed before getting up.

”Good morni—“

Elias had begun to say it back, but his mind decided that was the right moment to have all the memory from last night flood back to him. His voice caught in his throat, and his whole body went red hot.

Beelzebub caught notice of this, relaxing his grip on the boy and propping himself up on his forearm to see his face. A clear look of confusion washed over the redhead.

”Elias?”

It was taking everything in the human to remain composed. Frankly, he was doing a terrible job of it, because his vivid memories showed no mercy. Thank god he was still under the blanket, too, because his own perverted thoughts made him half hard. Normally this wouldn’t matter if he was wearing thicker pants, but the soft pajama bottoms didn’t leave much to the imagination when strained against like this.

Suddenly pulled back to reality, Beelzebub’s hand was placed gently on Elias’s messy bedhead, the taller of the two fully sitting up now.

”Are you okay?”

The brunette whipped around at the contact, gripping the blanket tightly to his lower half to make sure his shame wouldn’t be exposed. Their eyes met and words failed the boy, so he could only manage a nod.

Beelzebub frowned, and concern was etched on his face. He wasn’t buying it.

”Really? You don’t lo—“

_”Beel. Alarm. Turn off the alarm.”_

Came a grumble from the other side of the room. Belphie was sleepily trying to get his attention, but a bit of irritation did lace through his voice at how long the beeping had been allowed to go on.

”Ah. Sorry, Belphie.”

Quickly, Beel let go of Elias completely, rolling over to shut off the alarm.

Elias’s body moved, seizing the opportunity.

”I-I’m getting ready first!”

”Elias, wa—“

But before the command could be uttered, Elias had made it to the bathroom in their room, locking the door and siding down it’s length.

Elias carded a hand through his hair, his body trembling, and he lightly palmed his dick through the pants.

He was completely taken aback...

At how _incredibly g_ _ood it felt._

The memory of last night played over and over. His body ran so hot that he felt almost as if he had a fever. He had never felt this good in his _entire life._

” _Fuck.”_ He hissed, unable to stop himself from taking his dick completely out, now jerking himself off.

Elias really tried to keep his whimpering muted, but the ambition to keep going took precedence.

” _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck”_ The word was repeated as a mantra. It was all he could manage to say between the subdued moans, unraveling quicker than he ever had.

Elias’s breathing labored, trembling body betraying the consistent pace he was trying to keep.

His stomach twisted as his core grew hot, his other hand coming up to his chest and pressing firmly, trying to recreate the pressure of Beelzebub’s arms. Of course, this didn’t feel even remotely the same.

His heart hammered against his ribs as lust continued to build inside of him. Taking deeper breaths now to try and stay focused, he could feel himself getting close.

Amber eyes glazed over, he watched himself get to the very edge before releasing with a gentle moan. Elias did try to keep himself from making too much of a mess, but a lot spilled onto the floor.

Focusing on just getting air back into his body at a normal rate, he slumped over to his side on the floor. The cool tile acted as a deterrent to his burning skin.

_”Haah..Haah”_

The brunette shut his eyes, inhaling and exhaling.

After feeling his soul begin to return to his body, he groaned softly.

”If it felt _that_ good just by myself..”

Elias bit his bottom lip, that post-tingling sensation stronger than ever before.

”I’ve never cummed that hard.” He said to himself, as his brain was in too much disarray to form coherent thoughts.

The brunettes’ hand gently reached up and he could feel the O ring as well as it’s cool metal against the tip of his finger.

Two knocks pulled him back to reality, and he responded, immediately shooting up to sit upright. “Yeah! Yes? I’m getting ready!”

The guilt welled inside of him at how the instantaneous reply practically screamed _‘Hey! I just jerked off in your bathroom! Gimme a minute.’._

Or at least, that’s what ran through Elias’s head.

A moment of quiet passed before he heard Beelzebub finally speak up from the other side.

”You left your uniform on my desk.”

Any aide the cold tile helped to ease was brought back in full.

Struggling to find the words, he replied the best he could.

”R-right, I— I’m brushi— No, I’m washing my face!”

’ _Smooth, Elias. Real smooth.’_

Another moment passed before he got a response.

”Okay. I’ll wait out here.”

Hearing footsteps walk away from the door, Elias finally let out a shaky sigh, unaware he was even holding his breath.

The mess he made caught the corner of his eye, and he stood to his feet to get something to clean up.

••••

After having cleaned up and then quickly getting dressed, it was now 7:05. Belphie opted to skip breakfast in favor of some more sleep, so Elias and Beelzebub were walking down to breakfast together, side by side.

Moving around and getting ready this morning was a little awkward, but Elias was extremely thankful that Beel didn’t push anything. He acted completely normal, as if Elias didn’t strangely get out of bed blindingly fast and proceed to lock himself in the bathroom for 20 minutes.

But the silence was killing the brunette. He didn’t know exactly what to say, because he wasn’t even sure if Beelzebub was fully aware on what happened. And the humans’ guilt riddled mind automatically made his imagination go out of wack. But there was no concrete confirmation, and Elias really didn’t want to be the one to out himself. So the best place to start would be...

”Sorry, Beelzebub.”

Beel hummed in acknowledgment, but didn’t stop walking or look over. “Why are you apologizing?”

_’Because I came in your bathroom thinking about your dick grinding on my ass. That’s why.’_

”For hogging the bathroom this morning. It was selfish of me.”

’ _Close enough.’_

Elias tried his best to push any guilty thoughts back down.

”Don’t worry, the shared one was free.” 

Surprisingly enough, Beel’s tone was cool. Not mean, but he seemed unbothered. 

Did he really not know?

Elias wanted to hold his tongue, but curiosity won him over.

”So..How did you sleep?” The question was ambiguous enough that it didn’t directly imply anything, but Beel’s reaction would surely show how much he knew.

”Really well, actually. I didn’t wake up to eat at all.” His face stayed calm. So he didn’t remember, then.

Elias let out a soft sigh of relief.

Beelzebub stole a side glance, and then continued with a small grin. “You snore a little, you know.”

Shock struck the human, and he turned his head in disbelief. “I do? No way! No ones ever mentioned it before..”

”Has anyone ever slept that close to you before?”

The brunette shook his head.

Beel’s smile widened, and his gaze went back to focusing in front of himself.

”It was very soft. You wouldn’t know unless you were close.” He finished, and seemed to leave the statement open before deciding to add something. “It was cute.”

The human’s cheeks dusted pink. But this felt so... normal. And safe. And guilt pushed itself to the back of his head as a smile tugged on his lips.

••••

That morning, Lucifer had gone over the sleep schedule.

’ _Beelzebub, Asmodeous, Belphegor, Satan, Leviathan, Myself and then Mammon.’_

Mammon had been upset, questioning why he was last, but ultimately everyone was in agreement.

In the middle of their lunch period, Asmo texted Elias’s D.D.D.

_’I’ll come and pick you up after class at the end of the day. Wait for me, okay? 😘♥️‘_

Not like Elias had a choice, but he realized that written commands didn’t feel as strong as verbal ones. Still had a pull, but not to the same degree.

Either way, he texted back.

_’Okay Asmo. I’ll see you then.’_

_’:)’_

He added the smiley face after sending the first text, and put the device back into his pocket.

••••

True to his word, Asmodeous came for Elias after his last class ended. Immediately the demon interlocked his hand with Elias’s own, and started on their way back.

“So, tell me the details!” Asmo pried.

Elias let out a strained laugh, feigning innocence and also fighting against the want to obey and blabber his mouth.

”Details? What details?”

Asmodeous glanced to the human, his smile playful.

”You know _exactly_ what I mean, darling. Come on. Tell me!”

But Elias was firm in his resolve, trying to brush it off.

”We slept.” Technically, it was true.

Asmodeous stopped, a look of hurt on his face.

”Elias, dear, you do remember my Avatar, correct?”

The brunette was confused as to why he’d even ask that, but he of course stopped when Asmo did, listening.

The demon sighed. “I’m the _Avatar of **Lust.**_ Did you really think I wouldn’t notice the after-glow on your face at breakfast this morning?”

The human felt his face heat up, and he looked at the ground. 

Right.

Asmodeous’s entire being is centered around lust. Of course he, out of all of his brothers, would pick up on it.

”That’s..”

Asmo took his hands and cupped the boys’ face.

”If you _really_ don’t want to say, then you don’t have to. But you should know that keeping secrets causes stress, and stress is _awful_ for your skin.” His smile was still devious, but what he was saying was meant to be actual advice. “Besides, I’m a _great_ listener.”

Staring into the reddish yellow hue of Asmo’s eyes, Elias actually thought about it for a moment. He did still feel... _Really_ guilty. And talking about it would probably help.

Mulling over the thoughts, he conceded to Asmo’s wishes.

”...Okay. I’ll tell you as we walk.” Because having Asmo stare him down as he admitted this would only make it worse.

Pleased, the blond hummed happily, relinking their hands to walk together. “Whenever you’re ready.”

They walked for a few feet before Elias cleared his throat and mustered up the courage to go on.

”This morning, I.. May have... _masturbated_ in Beel and Belphie’s bathroom.” The word ‘masturbated’ was hushed.

”Oh, that makes much more sense!” Asmodeous stated, as if coming to an understanding. “I saw the glow on your face, but neither Beelzebub nor Belphegor had it to your extreme degree.” As if putting together a puzzle, he confirmed his thoughts to himself with a nod of conviction. “I originally thought maybe Beel or Belphie had helped, but Beelzebub isn’t the type to hide his desires like that. And Belphegor’s self satisfaction would be a dead giveaway.”

Elias was baffled, but listened on.

’ _He can tell all of that just looking at someone?’_

Even though the human was aware of the power the demons possessed, it didn’t fail to impress. Asmodeous was the definition of perfection when it came to things like this though, so should he really be surprised?

”Wow. That’s an intense observation.” Elias’s amber eyes were a bit wide as he admired his talents.

Asmodeous squeezed his hand in response, smiling broadly.

”Of course! I am _me,_ after all.” The demon laughed, his narcissistic side shining through. “But the real question is _why_ you did this dirty little deed. What would push our sweet little Elias over the edge to where he’d take a risk like that, hm?♥️“ 

Asmodeous didn’t have any malicious intent in his words, but it definitely riled up the human a bit.

”You talk about me as if I’m an innocent lost lamb or something.” He grumbled, but also made no move to deny that it was peculiar behavior for him.

”Well, you _are_ in the _Devildom_. I’d say it’s a fitting comparison when you look around.” Asmo chided the human gently, but his tone was completely light hearted. “Stop deflecting, though. What made you so lustful that you would go so against your moral character like that?”

The grip from Asmodeous’s hand tightened, and when Elias glanced at the demon, he was positively radiating sinful aura. All things considered, Asmo hit the nail on the head. So of course the _demon of lust_ would be absolutely _**thrilled**_ to hear something like that.

”Th-that’s..” Elias looked away, blush intensifying. While he wanted to share his side with Asmo, he wasn’t about to spill Beelzebub’s secrets and embarrass him in the process.

“We cuddled. And the... prolonged contact made me.. Sensitive. Because of the collar!” Turning to Asmodeous, he cleared his throat again. “The collar was just very strong, so my body was too restless to ignore.”

Again, Asmo didn’t look convinced.

”That’s all?” He pried one last time.

”..Yes, that’s all.”

”Well, if you say so, little lamb. You do know what this means though, don’t you?”

They were now right outside the door to the House of Lamentation.

Elias glanced at Asmo, confused. He didn’t get a chance to reply before Asmo cornered him against the door itself. The demon brought their intertwined hands up, pressing them right by Elias’s head, his other hand cupping the humans cheek and tilting it up so their eye contact remained unbroken.

The brunette instinctively lifted his other hand to clutch his own chest, heart picking up pace.

”What— What does it mean?” The human asked cautiously.

”It means,” Asmo purred, thumb slowly rubbing Elias’s cheek. His eyes were almost trance like, and he could feel the demon’s knee gently parting his legs by pushing between them with his bodyweight.

“It means it will probably happen again _tonight_ if all it takes it prolonged contact.” The demon brought his face even closer. “And _this time_ ,” with Asmodeous inches away from Elias’s face, the last part of his sentence was stressed for clarity on how serious he was. **“** _ **I can help you get full relief if you so desire.”**_

Elias’s breath hitched, and he turned his face away in embarrassment.

”I-I’m okay d-doing it myself!” His words were stuttered as he desperately tried to regain composure.

” _Hmm~”_ Asmo lingered in that position momentarily before stepping away from the human, releasing him completely.

”Well, the option is there if you ever want to use it.”

Again, reddish yellow eyes scanned over Elias, this time taking in his entire figure.

Feeling like he could die from embarrassment on the spot at the suggestion, the human turned around to hide his face from Asmo’s unrelenting gaze. Yet Elias could still feel it as he opened the door and walked inside, Asmodeous easily making his body go hot.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please leave a comment as they’re very motivating. ♥️


	6. Complimentary Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In his current position, Elias assumed sleeping in the same room with the Avatar of Lust himself wasn’t a good idea. But Asmodeous goes out of his way to put those worries to rest.
> 
> Can he stay that way, though?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asmodeous is such a great character, and I hope I was able to do him justice. 😭 Out of all of the boys he’s one of the harder ones for me to write. But I’m pretty confident with this, so I hope you enjoy.

Dinner was uneventful, but Asmodeous did make it a point to sit directly next to Elias this time around, earning a few comments from Mammon. Even Levi looked a but annoyed, commenting about how ‘Normies are so dumb’ and things of that nature.

When it came to an end, Asmodeous wasted no time in taking Elias’s hand and leading him out of the dining hall.

”Let’s go, Elias!”

”Wait- Wait, Asmo!”

But the demon was persistent, continuing to walk forward and right past Elias’s room.

”Asmo, my clothes—“

”You can borrow some of mine.”

”M-my toothbrush!”

”I have a new one you can use!”

”My _uniform!”_

That last part had the blond stop. A moment of silence passed before Asmo turned, pouting.

”You’re no fun, Elias.”

Catching his breath, Elias stared back at the demon. “I just need to get a few things. I promise.”

Asmodeous relented. “Fine. But don’t make me wait too long!”

The demon quickly let go out Eliases hand, and eyed him closely.

While he was getting better at working around the collar, Elias still struggled with one habit.

Instinctively, his hand darted out to take Asmodeous’s back in his own.

This all happened in the course of a few seconds, but the moment the brunette’s hand was back on Asmo’s, the demon grinned widely, staring over the boy with amusement.

Elias blushed heavily when his brain caught up.

’ _He totally just did that on purpose.’_

Before the human could pull away, Asmo griped his hand back and spoke with a purr of satisfaction. 

“You’re so _cute_ Elias. _Almost_ as cute as me, even.”

While the boy was frustrated, he didn’t have much of an argument. So he just gave his best look of disapproval, trying to mirror Lucifer’s from memory.

This elicited a laugh from Asmodeous, and he put his free hand up to cup his own cheek, softly sighing.

” _So cute.”_

Elias didn’t wish to be toyed with any longer, so he turned on his heel and began the walk back to his room. Still holding Asmo’s hand, of course.

••••

  
After gathering the things he needed and Asmodeous insisting he leave his pajamas, they were in the demons’ room.

The whole reasoning for leaving the pajamas?

‘No, no. You can’t wear this when I can make you look _so_ much better!’

And while Elias did his best to argue that they were pajamas, he only worried about comfort, Asmo did not budge.

So here they were, Asmodeous walking around his closet and gathering pieces of clothing, carefully thinking it over.

Elias was sitting cross cross on the bed, propping up his right arm and using his hand to support his head as he leaned against it.

It was kinda sweet seeing Asmodeous be this attentive to pick out his clothes.

A smile tugged at his lips as he watched the demon hum and neatly pile the chosen pieces next to him on the bed.

••••

Scratch that. It was not sweet at _all._

”I can NOT wear this Asmo!” Elias spoke from behind the bathroom door.

Asmodeous pouted, sighing.

”You have to wear one of them. You should show me how it looks!”

” _No way!”_

Asmodeous was getting a bit annoyed, crossing his arms

”You come out, or I’ll come in. I need to start my skin routine soon, and we aren’t walking all the way back to your room.”

Elias whined, but his voice was right on the other side.

”Just— Gimme my regular clothes back and I’ll go get them myself!”

Asmodeous leaned his back against the door, looking over his nails absentmindedly.

”Nope! Your options are to come out, or I come in. Choose.”

”But—“

”Elias.”

The firm tone was very unlike the demons’ usual sing song nature.

”...Stand back.”

Asmodeous did just that and watched the door expectantly, arms still crossed.

After a few seconds went by, the door opened, and Asmo gasped with delight.

”Oh my _goodness!”_

Elias was standing there in baggy checkered shorts that looked almost like underwear, long legs completely exposed, and his feet had on slippers that looked like the devil emoji. But in the humans opinion, the top was the worst. An oversized sheer white sleep shirt that practically fell off of his shoulders. His blush went up to his ears.

”I’m so, so good at picking out outfits! You look adorable!” Asmo beamed, circling Elias in approval.

”No, I don’t! Between the options you gave me, this was just the one that was the least revealing!”

Asmodeous didn’t seem to mind Elias’s annoyance, too happy with a job well done on his end.

”I followed exactly what you said. You can’t get much comfier! It’s just like your clothes.”

” _These are nothing like my clothes!”_ Elias said back, his tone having a bit of a bite to it.

Asmo picked up on that, and his gaze narrowed slightly. But he only smiled in response, clear that he just wasn’t interested in the boys protests.

”Stop complaining, Elias. Look!”

The brunette couldn’t tell if he purposely gave that order or just wasn’t paying attention to his choice of words. Either way, Elias promptly— but begrudgingly shut up, and turned to look at the full length mirror where he was pointing.

Seeing himself dressed like this only made him more flustered. The shirt slipping off of him and his messy chestnut hair making it look like he quite literally just rolled out of bed. It was certainly a sight.

Elias griped over the appearance internally. But there was a very, very small part of him that actually... Kinda liked being dressed up like this.

Of course, he would never tell Asmo that.

Asmodeous wrapped his hands around Elias’s body from behind as he stared into the mirror, hands resting on his chest once it seemed the boy had calmed.

“Let’s do face masks!”

••••

Elias and Asmodeous were on his bed, talking about a bit of everything. Now a little more used to the clothes, he wasn’t as embarrassed. But the human was hugging a pillow tightly to feel a bit more covered.

They both had on face masks, which Asmo so generously provided after finishing his initial skin care routine. Asmo wore one that looked like a panda face. Elias was given one that was like a cat face. And they both had on animal headbands to keep their hair out of the way.

Honestly, Asmodeous’s self care was second to none. Everything about the demon was perfectly groomed. And while the night had its ups and downs so far, he had to admit this was kinda fun.

••••

  
After doing their face masks, Asmo insisted on retouching his nails and then to do Elias’s. Curious, the human agreed. As of current, Asmodeous was humming to himself as he worked, and Elias was watching closely.

Asmo really was very attractive. His skin was perfect, hair shiny and sleek. The demon wore a silk white robe that stopped at his knees, having changed into it once his skin routine was done. Asmo was wearing briefs under it, but his form was... well outlined.

Even more so than that, Asmodeous had the most attentive eye for detail he’d ever seen. And the diligence to do that skin routine? Even going through it for one night would be exhausting from Elias’s perspective. Though the clothes he had on weren’t to the brunettes’ regular tastes, it’d be a straight up lie to say the ensemble wasn’t cute. He could tell how much thought went into picking this out for him...

Elias just was taking in the moment, having never done something like this before. Earlier, he’d been a bit worried with how the night would go. 

Seemed like he worried for nothing.

”I don’t mind you staring, Elias, but you should just touch me if you’re that infatuated.”

Asmo’s eyes raised from focusing on his nails to meet Elias’s own, giving off that devious grin.

Elias then realized this entire time he’d been just staring at Asmodeous. Pulling the pillow a bit closer to his chest, the human glanced away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

”Didn’t you hear me? I said I didn’t mind.” The demon gently blew at the fresh polish to help them dry faster. “It’s not the first time someones admired me. You are getting a VIP experience right now though, I don’t do this in front of just anyone.” The nail polish was fast drying, so it was only the tiniest bit tacky now, otherwise completely finished. With that done, he turned to face the human from where he sat at his vanity. “I wouldn’t mind you saying it out loud either, though! Go ahead, tell me what you were thinking about me~” Asmo watched the boy, clearly excited to hear some compliments.

Elias blushed, but the latter half of the sentence encouraged him to overcome his embarrassment and do as told.

”I was thinking that you’re... very attractive. I like how silky your hair looks, and your skin is so clear...” Taking in a deep breath and resting his head on the pillow he was holding against his chest, the boy closed his eyes to continue but also ease the fluster his body was making obvious.

”But you’re also really... attentive. You’re great at putting an outfit together, clearly.” A small smile tugged at the humans’ lips. “And as far as diligence goes, I don’t know many people who can raise to the same level.”

Elias sighed, eyes still closed as sleep started to weigh him down now. “There, I said it. But I’m getting pretty tired Asmo, can we do my nails another ti—“

Elias was cut off with a kiss. Asmodeous had at some point climbed onto the bed, and was now straddling Elias with the pillow between them as a barrier. Asmo held the humans cheeks, fingers lightly running through his hair and tilting his head back to deepen the kiss.

The brunette was stunned, but also didn’t move away. His amber eyes had opened in surprise, only closing again when he felt Asmodeous run his tongue over his lower lip. The collar played no roll in this, but it felt _good._ So he had no qualms, parting his lips enough to let the demon do as he wished.

The blond shifted positions to gain better access to the humans’ mouth, and sensually built up his desire with every passing moment their tongues were moving against one another.

Asmo’s silk robe brushed against Elias’s legs, and soft blond hair tickled the tip of his nose, the pink hue better illuminated at this angle.

Probably only a few seconds passed, but when Asmo pulled back, he was looking right through Elias’s amber eyes in a lustful gaze that felt like it had been held for hours. A small string of spit connected the two before Asmodeous wiped it away from the brunette’s lip using his thumb.

Elias was panting softly, eyes half lidded, but Asmo was composed besides the soft blush on his cheeks.

”.. _Don’t say dangerous things like that..”_ The demon chided the human, resting their foreheads together.

That moment lasted not nearly long enough.

“...We should sleep.” Asmodeous admitted begrudgingly. “It’s late.”

”O..okay..”

Without another word, Asmo got off of Elias and went to change into his own pajamas.

The brunette touched his lips with the tips of his finger, trying to make sense of what just happened.

••••

Once Asmo was changed, he slipped into bed with next to the other boy. A soft pink light was illuminating the corner of the room, casting subtle shadows— But they were not blinding in any capacity. Much like a nightlight.

Elias had only waited about 10 minutes, but during that time, he could only think about Asmodeous. Yet now that he was back in bed with him, he didn’t know what to say.

Asmo got comfortable, laying on his left side and facing the boy directly. A small smile came over his lips as he gestured for the brunette to close the gap.

Doing just that, Elias slipped between Asmo’s arms, now on his right side and flush against Asmodeous’s chest.

Unlike Beelzebub, Asmodeous didn’t grip him close. It felt more like being... cradled? The embrace was absolute, but gentle.

In the silence of the room, Elias was about to try and ask about earlier, but Asmo spoke before he got the chance.

“I don’t normally mind being a bad influence, you know?”

Elias was confused, but assumed this was going somewhere, so he listened quietly.

”It’s not my concern if someone has sex with me and their family falls apart. Nor is it my fault if a betrothed royal decides to chase their lust and they lose their engagement. Personally, I’m only there to get what _I_ want and just so happen to give them what they wish in the process. For the moments they’re with me, at least. _They_ made the decision, even if I led them to the edge.”

Everything Asmo said had a scarily nonchalant tone. Sometimes Elias forgot he could even be that brutal, but it made sense. His lust is what drives him and nothing else, anything that happens after it’s satiated, Asmo doesn’t think of as his problem... And now being reminded of that, it just made the kiss more confusing.

”...But...” Asmo held Elias a bit closer. “I don’t want to influence this decision for you, darling. I’m not sure why myself, all things considered. But I want it to be your choice, okay?”

Elias couldn’t see Asmo’s face, but he could tell he was being serious, and his heart welled with appreciation.

“Thanks, Asmo.”

”Don’t think that means my offer from this afternoon is no longer an option, though.” The purr was barely back in his voice. “I’d be _elated_ to assist.”

Elias smiled, sighing.

” _Goodnight, Asmo.”_

With a content hum, Elias imagined the smile on Asmo’s face while falling asleep.

••••

[OOC: I wanted to add, this is a rough visualization of what my boy Elias looks like, courtesy of Picrew! He stands at about 5’6”, and has a lean body type. Just so it makes imaging the character interaction easier! :)]  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify, it isn’t that Asmodeous doesn’t want to jump Elias’s bones. He just doesn’t want to do anything that would make him feel pressured. There will be a running theme where they’ll all first and foremost want Elias’s comfortable— giving up total autonomy is a pretty big decision, after all! And the sleep rotation is like a... trial run? Let’s go with that lol 😭
> 
> Anyway, please leave a comment with your thoughts if you enjoyed this chapter! I always love reading them!! ♥️


	7. Careful, He Bites Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmo’s teasing peaked, so Elias took matters into his own hands. With Belphegor next in line, Elias picks up on his odd behavior. Either way he gets to spend the night with the Avatar of Sloth, so surely he’ll be well rested for the next morning... Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a longer chapter! I’m trying to really get things moving, so I may compile the chapters a bit more going forward until we get to the more NSFW side of things. Alsooo, Elias is a low key brat? The collar subdued his tendencies, but with Asmo in the picture, it was only a matter of time before he snapped. Hopefully that same attitude won’t get him in trouble for future chapters. 👀

When their 6:30 alarm went off the next morning, Elias stirred in his sleep. Unlike Beel & Belphies, this time it was a soft chime tone to wake them. He felt Asmodeous shift in the bed as well to turn the alarm off from his nightstand.

Elias yawned and laid on his back, stretching his arms out in front of him as he wasn’t ready to wake up just yet. He could feel the demon moving, and heard the rustling of the sheets before the cool air hit his legs.

The boy groaned, groggily trying to keep his eyes awake. As to the culprit that tugged the blankets away, he was at the foot of the bed, and now slowly crawling his way to the human after climbing in again.

“Asmo?”

“Mmhmm~?” The demon was face to face with him now.

“What are you doing..”

“Inspecting!”

Elias’s brain caught up, and he blinked the sleepiness away to see Asmodeous leaning over him with one hand low on the humans’ waist and another sinking into the pillow next to his head. The grin was unmistakable, and the brunette sucked in a shaky breath of realization.

”I— I’m fine!” Elias put a hand over his own crotch, even though he really was okay. A blush arose on his cheeks, and he diverted his eyes.

”I’m okay.”

Asmo took a moment, probably eyeing Elias over to confirm, and then sat back with a pout on his face.

”This doesn’t make sense, Elias!” The blond huffed. “You were in my arms _allllll_ night. And I mean, _look_ at me!” The demon gestured to his physique. “How could you _not_ react?”

Elias coughed into his balled up fist as nonchalantly as he could, getting even redder.

”It’s not that, Asmo, the contact was just—“

”We had plenty of that.” Asmodeous tapped his chin to look as if he was thinking. “Maybe what you told me...” The blond gasped, feigning hurt. “You wouldn’t have _lied_ to me, would you...?”

Just barely there was a smirk.

Asmodeous was enjoying getting to taunt Elias first thing in the morning.

Elias was frustrated with how sly he was being. Obviously, Asmo probably picked up on Elias leaving a small part of the story out before. But feigning innocence just to make Elias squirm got under the humans’ skin in both an embarrassing way and and irritated one. He just wanted to make the boy trip over his words for excuses. In fact, _he’d been doing things like this since yesterday._

Even Elias had his limits.

’ _Fine.’_ The brunette thought, ‘ _If that’s how we’re playing things.’_

Elias didn’t reply. His cheeks still flushed red, but he got himself up and crawled to the demon before sitting in his lap. The look of determination steeled in his gaze.

After being in the Devildom for such a prolonged period of time, he knew what language best got across to the boy in front of him.

_Lust._

As if Asmodeous was expecting it, he held the boys’ hips for balance.

”Hm? Are you feeling something now? Or do you need more _contact_?” The demon was enthused at the turn of events.

Mustering up a bit of bravery, the brunette nuzzled into Asmo’s neck, delivering a short and muttered reply. 

“Shut _up,_ Asmo.”

Elias bit down where the juncture of Asmo’s neck and collarbone met. He was trying to vindicate himself overall, but this didn’t feel _bad_ either. Lightly, Elias ground himself into the others lap, just barely getting any type of friction.

The blond was definitely not expecting Elias’s bold move, but didn’t pull away.

After a moment, the human pulled back. He had made sure not to bite too hard, only teeth indentations remaining— which would likely fade within the hour.

Pulling away from Asmo’s neck, Elias captured the others eyes with a stern amber gaze. He mustered up as much intimidation he could, but considering his cheeks were still on fire, that probably took it down a few notches.

” _Stop teasing me Asmo.”_ Elias grumbled. “You knew the answer before you even asked.”

”Ahh, Elias♥️!” Asmodeous cupped the boys’ cheeks, excitement coursing through him. But as the demon went to lean in for a kiss, the brunette slipped out of his grip and stood from the bed to stretch.

Asmo took a moment, obviously confused.

”The answer,” He glanced over his shoulder. “Is _no,_ of course.”

Now Elias was the one just barely smiling, trying to keep a cool expression.

As the human walked to the bathroom to begin getting ready, he enjoyed the dumbfounded look on Asmodeous’s face and added on one last thing.

”I would _never_ dare lie to you, Asmo.”

With that, the bathroom door shut.

The demon was rendered a bit speechless, but a slightly scary grin spread over his face as he stared towards the direction Elias walked off to. His hand came up to feel the teeth marks on his skin.

” _If you were **anyone** else, Elias, that trick would have ended poorly for you.”_

Asmo said to himself with a sigh before getting up to get ready as well, relenting to the fact that his imagination of what could have happened would have to suffice as he played back that memory for now.

••••  
Breakfast went as calm as Elias could expect considering he slept with the Avatar of Lust last night. Lots of questions, Asmodeous enjoying every moment and Elias refuting nearly everything he said in response. Once worries were laid to rest though, everything died down.

Before he knew it, everyone was preparing to go to RAD. Elias followed suit as everyone filed out of the dining hall, but stopped when he felt someone grab his hand.

”Belphie? What’s up?”

Belphegor yawned, running a hand through his hair.

”Just wanted to tell you I’ll walk you back after classes end. Don’t try and go home by yourself.”

Elias nodded, “Okay. I’ll wait for you.” A moment of silence passed, and Elias spoke up again.

”Is... There something else you wanted to say?”

”Nope. Only needed to remind you to wait.”

Elias glanced at his hand still in a firm hold of the other boys’.

Belphegor cocked his head a bit. 

“Isn’t this okay?”

The human, of course, wouldn’t say no to physical touch. “Yeah. Of course it’s okay.”

”Mm.” Belphie agreed, and started walking without saying anything else.

He could be a bit hard to talk to at times, but in the mornings the black haired boy seemed especially odd. Maybe from forcing himself to stay awake? Even then, something just felt... off.

Despite the slight awkwardness of the encounter, they walked to RAD, hand in hand.

••••

Again, the day passed smoothly, and now Elias was waiting for Belphegor.

After 10 minutes of waiting, he started to wonder if Belphie was alright. Pulling out his D.D.D, he began to write out a text—

“ _Boo.”_

Nearly jumping out of his skin and barely catching the phone in the process, Elias whipped around to see Belphegor there, grinning.

”Holy shit _. Don’t_ _do that!”_

He grasped at his chest and took in a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

”I didn’t take you for the scaredy cat type, Elias.” Belphie added nonchalantly.

”I’m not!” The brunette protested. “You snuck up on me! Do you even make noise when you walk?”

”Yeah. I just learned to be light footed.” He yawned. “Walking around in the middle of the night and all, I didn’t want to wake Beel.”

”That’s...” Elias narrowed his gaze. “...Unexpectedly cute of you.”

Belphegor frowned, a little irritated. “Ehh?” The raven haired boy sighed. “Should I be flattered or offended by that?”

”I’ll leave it up to your interpretation.” A small smile crossed his lips. Elias glanced around them, the traffic of people waning as they all headed home. “We should go.”

”Yeah, probably.”

Belphegor held out his hand, waiting expectantly.

Taking the offer, they began their walk back. Something still felt off, but... He couldn’t really put his finger on what it was.

Regardless of his confusion, he followed Belphegor’s lead.

••••  
Once they got inside, Elias controlled himself when Belphie took his hand back, fighting his instincts to take it again. As Elias fought with himself internally, Belphie began to walk away.

And the brunette didn’t know what to do. He was with Beelzebub as soon as the sleeping order was given, so they really only spent after dinner together. Asmodeous wouldn’t let Elias get more than 5 feet away from him when they were together. So, now what? Should he follow him?

Technically they only had to _sleep_ together. There was no rule saying “hang out with Elias from the afternoon until the next morning”. And the boy didn’t want to encroach on Belphegor’s time if he wanted to be alone...

Griping with these thoughts, he hadn’t noticed that Belphie was now standing in front of him, leaning down slightly to meet at eye level with his hands in his front pockets.

”Did you fall asleep standing up?”

Confusion and surprise crossed the humans face.

”What? No, why would you ask me that?”

”Because I’ve been trying to call you to follow me for the last minute.” The demon stated.

Elias felt a blush creep up his cheeks.

”Ah.. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed or not.”

Belphegor furrowed his brows.

”Just because I let go of your hand made you think I didn’t want you to stay with me?”

In Elias’s defense, the collar could make his emotions very confusing at times.

The boys’ face only got redder in response.

Belphegor couldn’t hold back the slightly amused grin, but he took Elias’s hand and began to walk with him again.

Feeling once more back in place, the brunette relaxed.

”So, you need me to _allow_ you to come?” The amusement on Belphegor’s face was subdued, but still apparent.

“ _Oh my god. Please forget I said that.”_

Elias groaned having just realized his poor choice of wording. But Belphie just laughed, lightly teasing the boy until they got back to his room.

••••

“Beel isn’t home yet?” The brunette asked, curious. Maybe he was in the kitchen?

”He’s at the gym today. He goes after school.” Belphie was rearranging some things on his bed, and Elias hummed in response, just looking around their room at all of the smaller details.

”Do you want to come join me?”

Turning to respond to Belphie, his mouth dried slightly at the sight.

There the demon stood, shirtless and striped to his briefs which had the pattern of a cow, tossing his clothes to the side.

Gulping, the brunette diverted his gaze, shocked at the question.

”I’m good— I’ll stay here.”

”In the middle of the room? The entire time?”

...

Yeah, okay, it did sound pretty stupid.

But the human couldn’t stop thinking about what he meant exactly.

”You mean... Sleeping?”

Belphegor was now the one that looked shocked. Pink dusted his cheeks. But it seemed like he was suppressing a smile...?

”Duh.” He muttered. “So yes or no?”

Elias felt relief at the confirmation.

A small nap did sound nice.

”Okay, sure.” The brunette slowly began to walk over to the bed as Belphegor flopped on top of the sheets. Laying on his side, the demon propped his elbow up and used his hand to support his head. Just as the other boy went to sit down, Belphie spoke up.

”Wait.”

Elias froze immediately, looking at him.

”Yes?”

”You’re gonna sleep in your uniform?” Belphie chided.

Ah. That’s why Belphegor stripped.

”Oh.. Well, I’ll go grab clothes from my room the—“ 

“Nope.” The demon sighed, reply immediate. “Too far away. I’m watching you so you won’t go alone, and I’d have to get dressed to walk _all the way_ to your room only to walk _all the way_ back and strip again.” He shook his head. “Not happening.”

 _’You make it sound like you’re babysitting me.’_ Thought the boy internally. But it was a passing thought.

Elias blinked, and tried hard to think of an alternative.

”...Then can I borrow clothes?”

Belphie groaned “ _No._ ” He huffed and rolled over onto his back to shut his eyes. _“I’d_ have to find them for you. Too lazy.” As evident by his current state. One eye opened halfway, staring down Elias. “You should just strip too.”

That’s what Elias was afraid he’d say. Thankfully, the ‘you should’ part saved the sentence from being an order. His face flushed red and he tried to sheepishly laugh it off. “Haha. Funny.” Even though Elias knew he was likely not joking.

”Come on, Elias. I’m tired.” He mumbled and let out another sigh, closing his eyes once more.

While he didn’t love the embarrassment that would surely come with what he was about to do, he took a deep breath and began to take off his uniform.

Once Belphie heard the rustling of fabric, his eyes opened again. Quietly, the demon gazed at the boy as pieces of clothes came off one by one.

Tie.

Coat.

Undershirt.

Pants...

After a minute of undressing, the brunette stood there, nearly naked and bright red, only in his black boxer briefs now.

Belphie didn’t break his eye contact, and Elias mumbled as he walked to the bed.

”Move over.”

Belphegor silently did just that, and Elias slipped under the sheets.

As the human was adjusting himself, Belphie quietly reached over the side of his bed, pulling up something familiar.

”Your sweater?”

”Put it on.”

Instantly, he did just that, Belphegor’s scent enveloping him. While Elias was grateful to be at least a little less naked now, he was confused.

”Why?”

Belphegor muttered something under his breath, but gently shifted Elias so he could hug him from behind.

Now being spooned, the human figured he wasn’t going to get an answer. As the embarrassment subsided, he relaxed in the demons’ arms, and drifted off for a nap.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few things!
> 
> 1) Elias was on edge because of the constant state of embarrassment Asmodeous imposed on him. The pulling the covers off and such was like a last straw scenario. Of course, Elias isn’t really angry or anything like that— Just wanted to give Asmo a taste of his own medicine. Ballsy, am I right?
> 
> 2) I am not right. Y’all know for a FACT Elias was a blushing mess when he got behind that bathroom door and had to splash cold water on his face several times to get composure back. He is the epitome of the song “I did a bad thing, I regret the thing I just did” but like... Also enjoyed it a bit lol.
> 
> 3) The draft for this refreshed TWICE. /sobs  
> I apologize if it seems a little jumbled. :( I had to rewrite from memory.
> 
> That’s all! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, and if so I would love hearing your thoughts on it. ♥️ Thanks for reading!


	8. You Should Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belphegor is maybe more worried than he’s letting off about Elias’s decision with the contract. What can Elias do to help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Belphegor’s part has run a bit longer than I meant it to 😅 but I feel his character, being as apathetic as he can be, I had to build this up.

When Elias woke up, it was because he heard the sound of the bedroom door opening and then clicking shut, followed by footsteps coming into the room.

Feeling somehow even more tired than he did before the nap, the boy fought to open his eyes.

His view was bleary, but the tall form and red hair was a dead giveaway even with strained vision.

”Mm..Hey Beel..”

Elias greeted him sleepily as he sat up slowly, trying to be careful to not wake Belphegor who seemed to still be sound asleep.

”...Hey...”

Even half awake, he could sense something was off. Once his vision was back to normal, he saw exactly why Beelzebub was so apprehensive in his reply.

His clothes.

Specifically, his _uniform._

_In the middle of the room. **Scattered around**._

Feeling his heart hitch, Elias managed to spend a whole 8 seconds just looking completely dumbfounded in front of the taller boy. Which, surely _that_ would help to convince him he did _not_ just walk in on his younger brother and the human exchange student right after they boned.

Totally.

”I— I _know_ what this looks like! And I know—“ He quickly scampered out of the bed after gathering his bearings, grabbing his things as he tried to explain. “I know that saying that in and of itself _sounds_ bad but—“ After picking up all of it and quickly tossing them into a corner where they were less on display, he turned to Beelzebub, exasperated and blushing. “I _swear—“_ Elias held his hands up, trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. “It is _NOT_ what it looks like!!” He tried to give a reassuring smile.

Beelzebub made no comment the entire time, expression still stoic, staring at Elias as a few moments passed.

And then his violet eyes traveled down the brunette’s body.

_And so came the mortifying realization that he was still wearing nothing except Belphegor’s sweater and his own underwear._

”Oh my _g_ —“

Elias cut himself off, grabbing the bed sheet as it was the closest thing he could use to partially cover his lower half. This just so happened to also yank it completely off of Belphie.

” _We were napping!!”_ The boy was beet red, trying to desperately find a way— some way to explain without further embarrassment, all the while avoiding Beel’s gaze the best he could.

Belphegor groaned softly as the cold covered his body and the brunette turned to him swiftly, a sense of relief washing over him now that he didn’t have to explain this by himself. Immediately he tried to get Belphegor’s attention.

” _Belphie!_ ” The brunette exclaimed, maybe a bit too gleefully. “Belphie, _please_ explain to Beelzebub that we came back to your room and _immediately went to sleep with nothing else happening. ”_

The black haired boy barely opened his eyes, clearly annoyed. Slowly, he turned his face to make direct eye contact with the human, shifting between him and Beel before settling on the amber eyes.

”Elias.”

The boy nodded, his blush very apparent still but he still smiled as he waited. “Yes? Should I clarify something specifically, or sho—“

He was cut off by Belphegor holding out his hand expectantly.

_”Gimme the bed sheets.”_

On his order, the brunette relinquished it without a fight.

“Thanks.”

In the span of those few short seconds the humans brain whirred away, and Belphegor was rolling over to turn his back to them, tucking himself back under. 

Once his head finally did catch up once more, he was red for two reasons:

1) Mortification

and

2) _Rage_

”Are.. Are you **_serious—_** “

It’s a good thing that a noise distracted Elias in that moment, as he was going to grab a pillow to possibly hit and/or smother the younger brother.

” _Pfff”_

The brunette turned, wondering how anyone could find this funny, vividly imaging each of the boys’ reactions and shuddering at the chaotic after thought. 

But Beelzebub was struggling to contain himself. One hand was on his stomach, the other covering his mouth as he tried and failed to keep from laughing, eventually just letting it happen.

Elias had only seen the demon _this_ joyful once before, and that was when a restaurant was stupid enough to honor an ‘all you can eat’ one week voucher he had— a coupon meant to be used for grabbing lunch or dinner a few days, _not_ to produce the insane amount food that they were forced to abide by under their policy. In all fairness, it was probably due to not recognizing who he was at first. 

They were closed for two weeks after due to the food supply running out, if Elias remembered it all correctly.

A minute or so went by as Beel calmed himself, still smiling widely. Meanwhile the brunette couldn’t see the humor at all.

”Ah, sorry. Sorry Elias.” Seemingly good now, he had a huge grin on his face.

”This is serious! You need to know Belphegor didn’t influence me or anything like that!” His mind flickered to how each boy had been so careful to make that clear— and remembered Lucifer’s promise of punishment to the other brothers should they be disobeyed.

”It’s funny _only_ because I already know that.”

”Well that’s no— wait, what?”

Elias furrowed his brows. “Not that I’m upset about it, but really?” If Elias were in the same position as Beel, he sure as hell would have a hard time believing anything he just said.

Beelzebub was subdued now, even though a faint smile still remained on his lips.

”Belphegor is my twin. I already know he wouldn’t do anything to influence your decision, because I know who he is better than anyone.” Beel looked to be lost in thought, a small sign of displeasure crossing his face momentarily. “If it was any of my other brothers though, then that probably would have been bad.”

Even though the boy was grateful Beelzebub believed them, it didn’t help the flush on his cheeks as he came to terms with all that was just said. It essentially was just... one big overreaction.

”...Sorry...I was really scared, though...” Elias murmured shyly.

”Ah. It’s okay.”

The brunette felt the taller demons’ hand rest on the top of his chestnut locks now, a comforting action as the humans tension dissipated.

Elias recalled a not-so-distant memory, and only then did he find a bit of humor in all of this.

”This somehow feels like dejá vù.”

Beel stopped to remember the human word, before letting out one more soft laugh.

”Yeah.”

The redhead took a second remembering their exchange just the other day, a fondness clear on his face.

A relief exhaled out of Elias, and then he felt Beelzebub push something into his hand.

The boy glanced down, and a white towel was now firmly grasped between his fingers.

”If you wanted to cover up still, you can use this.” Beel stated.

Somehow in the heat of the moment, he’d forgotten about the way he was currently presented.

Elias quickly wrapped it around his lower half, heat rising to his cheeks once more while muttering his thanks.

Only then did the brunette get a chance to take in how the demon was dressed.

Strands of red hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks. While his skin was dry now, the reason for it was clearly due to him sweating beforehand. He was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a loosely fitted white tank top that seemed to curve where his muscles defined themselves under it— _also_ probably clinging to his body from sweat.

The only other things on him were two sweatbands, black with a single red stripe around them on his wrists and the usual everyday wrapped necklace he wore, along with a pair of white and red high tops.

The fact that Elias didn’t seem to notice him until just now— and the blush that it caused upon said realization— caused a rush that was equal parts embarrassing and exhilarating.

”You just.. got home from working out, right?” The brunette inquired sheepishly, glancing from the towel and back to Beelzebub. “Wasn’t— weren’t you going to use this for your shower?”

Beel simply nodded, and put a hand on his own neck, his eyes following the direction to the bathroom door. “I can just grab another. But, Elias..” Seriousness cast over his face.

Violet hue locked back onto the brunette’s Amber ones, and the human gulped in anticipation as well as curiosity.

”I really need you to—“

Beelzebub’s stomach decided to finish for him, growling loudly. 

Silence passed as his hand went from his neck to his abdomen, frowning.

”... _Please_ get Belphie up for dinner before I’m out.” While he didn’t plead, there was certainly a strain of despair in his tone. “I’m so hungry...”

Elias’s gaze shifted to the still figure on the bed behind him. “Yeah. Sure thing.”

Beel didn’t respond, opting for a thankful smile, before vanishing in the bathroom.

After hearing the shower turn on, the brunette walked over to the clothes he’d frantically shoved aside earlier to remove the towel and put on a pair of pants.

Once his lower half was covered, Elias glared at the figure under the sheets in front of him.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, the he tapped the others’ shoulder.

”Belphie. Come on, wake up.”

But the back that was turned to him just continued to sleep soundly.

More than irritated, his words came out with a bite to it. “Wake _up.”_ The human tried to pull on his arm to get him out of bed, managing to make the demon roll onto his back. Now Elias could see the gentle rise and fall of breathing.

” _Belphegor!”_

Still, nothing. 

To say Elias was pissed was an understatement. In a fit of aggravation, the brunette climbed back on the bed and straddled the other boy, roughly shaking his shoulders.

” _W-a-k-e u-p!”_ Each letter was stressed for emphasis.

But the black haired boy continued to snooze, his head now facing away as it rested on the pillow comfortably.

The human groaned, running a hand through his hair and shutting his eyes to think.

_’Beelzebub must go through hell to get him up each morning. This isn’t a nap, it’s a goddamn coma.’_

Annoyance radiated off of the smaller boy, and he found himself at a loss. While Elias wasn’t weak, he wasn’t even _close_ to as strong as Beel was— and brute force seemed to be the only way to get Belphie up. But he told the other that he’d get him up before he was done showering...

Opening his eyes again and looking at Belphegor’s peaceful sleeping face, he put his hands back on his shoulders to try and shake him again.

Leaning down to get in the boys face, he studied attentively, brows still furrowed.

”You’re a _jerk.”_ Elias stated in a concrete way, the expression of emotion making him feel a little better— so he continued.

”First you leave me to fend for myself and now you _won’t even wake up.”_

With the others sleeping face so serene, the brunette almost felt bad about what he was saying.

Almost.

But this wasn’t getting him anywhere. Elias glanced to look at the bathroom door and wondered how much time he had left before Beelzebub finished, letting out another huff of annoyance.

”I should smother you.” He grumbled.

” _You’re quite bold for a human.”_

Elias’s gaze snapped to the voice, but all he saw was a blur of purple before his world began to spin.

••••

Belphegor was looming over Elias now having flipped them, pinning his wrists down to the bed. The demons’ black hair fell over his face, casting a shadow, but his vibrant purple eyes locked onto the brunette without mercy.

Of course, Elias was taken aback. His face went pale as he analyzed the others’ seriousness, and slowly heated up when he realized the position he was in.

The human hadn’t been serious in what he said before in any capacity, but it didn’t seem like the demon was so convinced. A couple of seconds passed before he tried to explain just that.

”Blephg—“

”Quiet.”

Elias winced at the need to obey. He really wanted to. But he couldn’t let Belphie get the wrong idea.

Fighting against the collars power, each word made his core ache in pain.

” _Lis-Listen to m—“_

” _ **Quiet, Elias.**_ ”

This time he didn’t fight. More accurately, couldn’t fight, as the pain of disobeying the first time alone had made a sweat break out on humans forehead, breathing heavily.

The silence continued as Belphegor made sure the other wasn’t going to try and speak again. He seemed satisfied at the compliance, beginning to talk.

”To start with, I only didn’t say anything because it was _Beel.”_ The demon forced a frown, but Elias could see the amusement in his features. “Second, _you_ were the one who overreacted, right? If you had stayed in bed, then it would’ve been fine.” He leaned down to get closer to Elias’s ear. “But you blame me? That _hurts,_ Elias. Really hurts.”

Since the brunette had no way of defending himself, he just felt his face get hotter the closer Belphegor came to him. He could tell that he was toying with him though, so at least he knew Belphie wasn’t truly mad.

A few moments passed and Belphegor’s aura seemed to shift. He seemed... actually serious now for some reason.

Belphie exhaled, sounding a bit more like a sigh than he likely intended.

”I can’t promise what will happen if you take the other contract.” He had said abruptly, completely changing the subject of conversation. Elias listened intently now, his own expression softening. “..You should know.. But I don’t want you to be scared.”

The demon tensed at his own words.

”Some of my _desires_ won’t be fair to you. And you may not always..” He paused, and then continued. “..You may not always _know_ when I’m going to do something.”

Even though Elias was taking this seriously, he felt himself shift his legs together at the thoughts now planted in his mind. It didn’t help that the demons’ warmth— his whispered voice— hit his ear whenever he spoke, echoing over and over in his mind whilst sending a chill down his spine. He felt a bit of fear, sure... But it just drove his curiosity even more.

”I wanted to tell you this not to change your mind, but just so you know.” Belphies hands gripped the boys’ wrists a little more, and Elias filled in the gaps of what he was trying to say.

’ _So you don’t hate me after.’_

The room fell silent besides the distant sound of the shower still running.

Since the boy couldn’t move his hands or speak, he responded by shutting his eyes halfway and lightly rubbing his cheek against the side of the others head, feeling Belphies hair tickle his face.

Belphegor stilled before he relaxed his grip on Elias, and the human him barely do so back.

Seems the message got across.

When Belphegor raised back up off him, he pulled the human as well, and only released his grip completely when they were both sitting upright on the bed. Belphie’s hair and it’s shadow covered it well, but he could still tell that the demon was blushing and avoided looking at the brunette.

Elias felt a smile pull at his lips.

’ _He can be kinda cute sometimes.’_

Elias’s thought was fleeting, as he was now gently pushing the others’ shoulder to get his attention, giving an expectant look. When Belphie turned to respond, something snapped back to him.

”Oh. Right. You can talk now.”

The barely visible anxiousness still on Belphegor’s face as he waited was an endearing change of pace, considering Elias was usually the one filling that role.

After a muted sigh escaped him, his reply was immediate.

“ _You’re still a jerk.”_ Elias laughed softly, but his amber eyes were warm and quickly quelled all concerns Belphegor still had.

Without saying anything about it directly, Elias managed to convince him that everything would be okay— no matter what.

The demon took a second, and he smiled a little himself before he let out a exhaled as well. 

“And you’re still bold.”

”I wouldn’t have to be bold if you’d of just helped me out.” The human retorted.

Belphie yawned, shaking his head. “Not an excuse. Besides, I already apologized.”

Elias’s brows furrowed once more in disbelief.

”No you didn’t!”

Belphegor looked away, “Ehh, didn’t I?” Tilting his head in mock confusion.

Both remained still for a few seconds after Belphie remade eye contact, then began laughing together.

They stopped when they heard the shower turn off.

Without another word, they got out of bed to redress, getting ready to go downstairs and have dinner. And as they did, Elias could feel the smile pulling at his lips.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🧐 Elias? Is that character progression I see?
> 
> Elias is becoming less and less scared with the alternative contract option each day— which, in these chapters, I’m just trying to focus on how important his consent is before he dives into this which is why it may feel a lil drawn out 😭
> 
> Also, considering (little spoiler if you haven’t finished Belphie’s storyline in main game?) how good Belphegor is at acting, I think the playfulness fits him. But if you haven’t realized by now, he uses it as a coverup. This boy just doesn’t know how to converse properly, gdi. 
> 
> Either way, I had a LOT of fun writing this. I hope you all enjoy reading it just as much! :) Please leave a comment if you do ♥️


	9. I’ll BRB

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elias’s mind is heavy with guilt, the weight of making a decision torturing his thoughts. Belphegor offers some support. 
> 
> And what will happen when Elias is finally passed off to Satan, staying a night with the cynically sadistic Avatar of Wrath?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***WARNING***  
> There are some spoilers for Belphegor’s backstory of the main plot in this chapter!!! Please proceed with caution if you haven’t read it yet. ♥️

“Did you really have to _order_ me to wear this?”

Belphegor shrugged, side eyeing the human.

”Would you have worn it if I’d just asked?”

”...No...But is it really necessary?”

”No. I just wanted to.” His eyes lit up and he suppressed a grin. “It’ll be fun.”

”Fun for _you._ ” Elias complained under his breath.

Belphegor was making him wear his sweater and one of his t-shirts to dinner, also ordered to hold Belphegor’s pillow as they all walked to the dining hall.

Beelzebub, who would usually back Elias up, was too concerned with the growing hunger inside of him to focus on anyone or anything else.

”I wonder if there will be hemlock greens... Hellfire mushroom pizza... Poison apple pie...” The noise Beelzebub’s stomach makes emphasizes the need for food.

”See? Too late to turn back and change now. Beel might eat you in a fit of hungry delirium if we did.” Belphegor said this as if he even gave Elias the option in the first place, making the human shake his head.

”Theres no point in arguing with you is there?”

”You’re just getting that?” Belphegor stared at him blankly before taking Elias’s hand as his other arm clutched the pillow.

••••

Well, this went about exactly as Elias expected. Asmo commenting with things like ‘You poor dear, he’s pushing his awful fashion choices onto you as well now?’ while Levi and Mammon teamed up, talking about Belphie ‘ _misusing the contract’._ Elias would normally be appreciative of this if he didn’t know that they will _also_ most likely misuse it when the time comes... It’s a bit hard to avoid. And technically, not even misuse.

The contract was _made_ for this type of wearer behavior, which Elias couldn’t figure out if it felt comforting or disheartening to know.

Either way, both demons’ seemed to pitch a passionate case against Belphegor’s antics all through dinner until Lucifer ‘calmed’ them.

Beelzebub was too hungry to notice or care about anything except his food, plate after plate piling up at his end of the table. 

Satan surprisingly seemed amused, but didn’t verbally express it, so there’s a possibility Elias misread his reaction.

Lucifer didn’t mention it at all, unfazed with the display. Belphegor was composed, but secretly a bit disappointed at the lack of reaction from his oldest brother specifically.

Overall the dinner was peaceful, and as it came to an end, the eldest of them spoke up.

”Elias, I’d like to hear your opinion of the sleeping arrangement now that you’ve had a few days of experience with it. Have things been up to standard according to my prior orders?”

The brunette paused before glancing back. His eyes found Beel, who was cleaning off what was left of his last plate.

Then he glanced at Asmo who had been smiling at Elias the whole time, hands intertwined and supporting his chin as he sat.

Then finally, Belphie, who didn’t make any particular expression, but his eyes definitely gave off a certain look that was hard to place. Confidence? No... Cockiness?

Either way, the truth was that he actually _was_ having a pretty good time the past few days. All of them had their own moments of mixed experiences they gave the boy, but none of them ever made him feel unsafe.

Remembering each of their shared memories his cheeks went red, but the smile on his face was completely genuine. He turned back to Lucifer, nodding his head. “Yeah. It’s been good.”

”And no more sleep walking?”

”Not that I know of.” He left out the part that he was usually being held most nights, so even if he did sleepwalk, he wasn’t going to get very far.

”That’s good to hear. We’ll wait out the week and see if it needs revision, perhaps you may not need it after all.” Lucifer gave his distant but polite smile.

For whatever reason, the thought of that made Elias feel... Upset. Maybe it was the collars doing... Or maybe he really just didn’t want this to end? But just asking flat out to keep this routine up would be way too embarrassing.

For a split second the alternative contract flashed through his mind. ‘ _You’ll get to spend as much time as you want with them. You’ll be one of theirs for a full week at a time over 7 of them. You’d feel so good.’_

And it was true. But... all at the cost of giving up every part of him, every bit of control. His entire body, mind, soul would belong to someone other than himself. And it was scary to think about.

The first day, when he couldn’t get up from the floor, it was one of the most terrifying things to happen in his life. The helplessness and confusion of that ordeal made knots form in the brunettes stomach, and caused his expression to sour at the thought.

But on the opposite end of that, how **_selfish_** could he be? Everyone, now even more so than before, had to help him. Even though Elias had the collar on, he made the brothers enter into a contract because of _his_ own stupid choice. Worse than that, he made that stupid choice to try and _help._ He was trying to lessen the burden he put on their shoulders they dealt with while protecting him, but screwed up, and now it’s all 10x’s worse. Yet he hesitates and only considers it when such a conceited thought passes through his mind?

It was all his fault, and... The alternative contract was the fastest way to fix it. Didn’t he owe that to them? To at least clean up the mess he made in the most efficient way possible? It shouldn’t matter what he had to endure, fixing this should be his _first priority—_

” _Elias.”_

Lucifer’s voice calling him brought the boy back to reality, attention snapping to the other. “Sorry—...I’m sorry. Yes, we can... we can talk about it later.”

”Are you worried about not getting to be in as close of contact with us as much anymore?” The demon continued while crossing his arms. “I know the strength must be slowly increasing, but you may of hardly noticed it due to us all being with you so much.”

As in not noticing the _pain._ The opposite of that was absolutely wonderful— addictive at times even— but Elias wouldn’t admit something like that. Especially not to the demon of pride himself. Even more so, guilt welled inside of him knowing this... That the others were just a source of pain or pleasure to him now. And he _liked it._

”No. I’m fine, really. Just tired.” The boy insisted, although lying was never his strong suit. Lucifer could likely see right through him, and he was going to ask, but...

”Oh. That’s my cue, I guess.” Belphegor stood up and took Elias’s hand, smiling at Lucifer. “We’re going to bed. Night.”

The two of them walked out with Belphie leading, and his eldest brother simply sighed, face etched with a little annoyance and hesitation before going off in his own direction.

••••

The walk was quiet and Elias’s eyes were downcast. He knew Belphie did that to save him from further prodding, but the fact that he even had to _be saved_ was an issue.

The collar bound him to things that he can’t escape from in a formal way, and it’s only becoming clearer and clearer as time goes on. Choosing between that... helpless feeling or further burdening the boys, making them into glorified babysitters and the like... He already knew the answer. He knew what he _had_ to choose...

Just as Elias went to speak, Belphie spoke up.

”Close your eyes.”

The brunette followed the command, eyebrows knitting together. 

“Whoa, wait, what are you doing? What’s happening?”

”You’ll see.”

After walking for another few minutes, Elias felt the need to ask again. “Belphie tell me whats—“

”We’re here.” He heard the demon say before releasing him from his spoken bonds. “You can open your eyes now.”

Elias curiously but slowly opened them, amber hues first finding Belphegor’s face before the demon pointed up.

”...”

What looked like a million little multicolored diamonds were replacing the stars that normally covered the night sky. Each one twinkled brilliantly and left the brunette speechless.

”Got some help to perform manipulation magic awhile back. One of the witches Mammon owed money to asked for info, and I got this in exchange of where he was at that moment. It only works in this room, though. The old one is good, but change every now and then is alright too.” The black haired boy tugged Elias down onto what looked like was a small sleeping setup. Belphegor made it after accidentally falling unconscious in the planetarium one too many times.

”I can make them any color I want.” He added. “But this is probably my favorite.”

They both laid on the fluffy mound of blankets and pillows, quietly looking up, Belphie relaxing with his hands behind his head and ankles crossed.

Belphegor was thankfully one of those people who didn’t find silence awkward. Or at the very least was giving the brunette some needed time to think in staying quiet, yet also being close as to not irritate the collars stipulations.

A few more moments passed before Elias sighed, smiling to himself. “Thanks.”

”Mm.”

”...”

Silence fell between them once more before the human tried to continue, not sure if he really even wanted to be alone with his thoughts right now.

”They’re really pretty. Why don’t any of the others come and see?”

”They don’t know. You’re the first.”

Elias sat up at this, turning to look at Belphie in surprise. “Even Beelzebub?”

Making eye contact with the boy for a brief moment, Belphegor grinned a little. “Sometimes it’s nice to have somewhere to think that no one else really knows about.” His attention turned back to the sky, finishing that sentence with a mumble. “Did you forget I was trapped in an attic?”

Right.

Belphegor doesn’t bring it up as much, but he was completely alone for _months._ Just that probably isn’t as bad for someone who’s lived thousands of years, but the part that must of hurt was knowing his family was literally just downstairs and he couldn’t see them. Or anyone, for that matter. But it only confused Elias more— wouldn’t he _want_ to not be alone anymore if he had been for such a long time?

Before Elias could ask Belphie answered as if he knew what he was going to say.

”It can be a lot to go from doing the same things every day in one room to a house full of people that seem to treat you differently from when you were there before. I never even left, yet so much changed. But things were still somehow different, because no one knew what to do to help. They all felt a little guilty— especially Beelzebub.”

Elias could understand that. Everything was so normal, peaceful before the bet happened. His emotions weren’t on high alert and his dependency wasn’t nearly as bad. But it’s all different now. And it’ll stay different, unless...

” _But,”_ The demon took in a deep breath and exhaled before closing his eyes.

“The point was that they _wanted to help._ They _wanted_ to do something, and it was up to **_me_** to let them know it was okay. No one wanted to overstep any bounds, not because they found it bothersome to deal with, but because they didn’t want it to feel like I was forcing anyone to forgive them.” Belphegor’s eyes opened again and he sat up. “Kinda like they didn’t want to _influence my decision.”_

Elias blushed at the connection when he said that, looking down at his hands while he fiddled with them anxiously. “...But how did you know...”

Suddenly, the brunette felt the other flick his forehead, _hard,_ and the hands he was previously fiddling with flew up to cover the spot. “Ow!” He stared down Belphie, eyes narrowing.

”You’re _so dense.”_ Belphegor sighed while pulling his finger away, crossing his arms. “Because I _trusted them._ Wouldn’t it be kind of a dick move to assume the people helping me don’t even want to, all while they’re putting the work in to try? How would _you_ have reacted if I told you that the only reason you helped me was because you felt ‘responsible’?”

Elias let his hands slowly fall back into his lap, face red and frowning. He had helped Belphegor because he wanted to see him happy, not because he felt like he was obligated. And after thinking about how he’d been going about all of this, his heart sank. He’d never intended to...

”Hey. Look up.”

Elias lifted his head up but tried to avoid looking at him, biting his cheek to fend off tears that were building inside.

But Belphegor grabbed the boys’ chin, making direct eye contact. His gaze wasn’t intimidating or mean, but it was firm in a no-nonsense type of way. Something that Elias really never saw the demon do before, considering how everything was usually either boring or a game to him.

”Do not make this decision for **_anyone_** except yourself. Not me, not my brothers, and _especially not on our behalf._ No one except for _you_ gets to decide this. It’d be kinda insulting if you did it any other way.” Belphie frowned, searching the others gaze for a response. “We’re helping you because we care about you, not out of any stupid obligation you made up in your head.”

Elias wasn’t sure when he’d started to cry, but it was no use holding back anymore.

Belphegor pulled him into a silent hug in his lap, arms wrapping around the humans frame, and just let him let it out. The other buried his face in Belphie’s neck, gripping onto his shirt, just appreciating that he was there for him. Not because of the contract.

_For him._

_••••_  
  
After Elias had calmed down, Belphegor pulled him into a laying position, having the other rest on his shoulder while his own arm wrapped loosely around the brunettes body. 

The comforting sound of their breathing and hearing Belphie’s rhythmic heartbeat relaxed the human. And now that he had gotten to lay on Belphegor for this long, his scent filled the space. It was like overwhelming lavender and an underlying spice... Like paprika... Or cayenne pepper. A weirder combination for sure, but it was still nice. This made Elias wonder if he had a particular scent as well.

”Belphie, do I have a natural scent?”

”Yeah. It’s human.” Belphegor murmured, his eyes shut.

”That’s not what I meant, but okay.”

”What did you mean then?” The demon opened his eyes since Elias wanted to talk, watching the stars to pass time.

“I mean like... You smell like lavender, and some kind of spice, though I can’t really tell. Do I have a natural scent like that?” The brunette said while turning his head up to look at the demon. 

Belphegor blushed at the straightforwardness, using his freehand to cover it. “...I don’t know. You just smell like a regular human.”

”Oh..” Somehow, it was a bit disappointing to the boy, even though practically speaking it made no difference.

”...Maybe a bit sweeter.” Belphegor chimed in after a pause. “Like a herbal tea or something like that.”

Elias smiled, laughing softly. “I guess that’s better than before.”

The brunette stopped for a moment, looking over to also stare at the sky. “Hey, I wanted to ask something. You said that this specific spot was to think about all of that stuff, but isn’t that bad? Do you really want to subject yourself to those thoughts and then go somewhere secret to think them over?”

Purple eyes glanced down to watch Elias’s expression. “It’s okay, I think. It would not be okay if I _only_ ever came here and thought about it. But needing a break happens sometimes.”

”You’re always taking a break. You sleep more soundly than the dead.”

The demon shrugged softly. “Whatever. My point was that as long as you don’t think about something forever it’s okay to acknowledge the bad with the good.”

Elias propped himself up, messy brown hair falling over his face and amber eyes studying the other. “You can talk to me too. If you wanna. You don’t have to think about it alone.”

Once more the black haired demon blushed, purple following amber for a split second before glancing away. “I know.”

A laugh escaped the human, laying his head back down, content. “...Thanks, Belphegor.” It came out as a whisper, but the planetarium was quiet enough that Belphie heard it.

”...”

But he didn’t respond back, clearing his throat instead and bringing up a new subject. ”You snore by the way.”

Elias immediately flushed, remembering what Beelzebub said a few nights ago. “I _know.”_

”I can try to recreate it for you if you want to know how if sounds.”

Immediately the human sat up and shook his head. “Do _not_ do that!”

Belphegor raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “What? Do you want me to record you doing it instead?”

” _I should have smothered you.”_

With Elias now off on a bashful rant and Belphegor egging him on in amusement, they spent the night talking right there under the stars.

••••

Elias was nearly asleep at breakfast. Belphegor _was asleep at breakfast._

They’d somehow stayed up all night until the sun began to rise, only getting an hour or two of sleep— if that.

”You look terrible this morning.” Asmodeous interjected while the human was trying to focus on getting some food in him.

”Thanks for the confidence booster Asmo.” Elias grumbled.

”Ohhh, you’re all feisty when you’re sleep deprived.” The demon grinned. “It’s very sexy. Just the attitude, though. Your skin still looks awful. After I went through all the trouble to give you that facial, too...”

Mammon nearly spit out his food, and before he could say anything, Elias held up a hand to signal him to be quiet.

” _Face mask._ We did face masks.”

Mammon turned to Asmo while blushing and the usual lively morning was now in full swing.

Leviathan seemed to still be collecting himself after hearing what Asmodeous said, blushing like crazy and refusing to make eye contact with Elias, and Beelzebub was simultaneously eating and trying to wake Belphie.

Lucifer had to go to RAD early this morning, so he didn’t stay for breakfast.

And Satan seemed disinterested, reading a book since he’d finished his food and sipping on tea every few minutes.

Chewing lazily on a piece of toast, Elias wondered what kind of way Satan would approach him to let him know what to do in the afternoon.

••••

He got the answer.

Which was that he _didn’t._

No text, no stopping him in the morning on their way to school, no coming after class... The human was lucky that Belphie was still willing to hold hands on the way to school or else the dull ache would probably be much worse by now.

Having no contact, no confirmation— and no _sleep—_ made Elias’s filter get pushed to the back of his mind.

_’Where the hell is he? Did he forget it was his day?’_

After saying that in his head, the boy realized how pathetic it sounded. But he didn’t care right now. He was sleepy and pissed off and—

A soft _ding_ went off in his pocket and Elias wasted no time pulling out his phone excitedly to look.

’ _Finally.’_ He thought, assuming it was from Satan.

But no.

It was from Solomon.

He groaned in frustration, earning a few looks from those passing by. 

‘ _I can’t deal with this right now. I need to find him.’_

Assuming the other had forgotten and already headed home, Elias went in the same direction.

••••

“ _Satan..”_

Elias was outside the demons door, sweat dripping down his body and trembling from the growing feeling of agony.

Unfortunately, just by feeling alone, he could tell that the blond was not on the other side. In fact, _no one_ seemed to be home. But maybe there’s something in there that would show where he did go?

Without another word, the panting and red faced boy dragged himself into the room, lightly leaning on things for support.

The dizziness.

The sweating.

The jagged breathes.

The **_pain_** _._

It was all too much.

Leaning up against a wall of books for support, the brunette shakily took off his tie and coat, dropping them to the floor in a desperate attempt to cool off and breathe. Trying to get back some sort of focus.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a green envelope, and after straining his eyes to see clearly, he could tell it had his name neatly written on the front— propped up on the demons’ bedside table.

One bad happenstance after the other, though, was that the bed and said table were up a short flight of stairs that divided the room.

_’Fuck me.’_

Weakly and very carefully, Elias took short steps towards the desired point. He’d also kicked off his shoes and socks while slowly unbuttoning his shirt without realizing it, too in need of some kind of relief to care about appearance— subconsciously at least.

One stair after the other, his legs felt more and more like lead. His eyes grew heavier and heavier. Would he even be able to read the letter when— _if_ he got to it?

After what felt like an eternity, he was up the stairs and stumbling towards the bed. His pants had now been unbuttoned and shirt slumped on his shoulders, but not falling yet. Once making it to one of the bed posts, Elias grabbed on for stability, heaving so hard he felt like he was going to pass out.

No, not pass out...

_’I’m gonna die. I’m gonna fucking die. I’m gonna die because he forgot me.’_

Pants having been pushed now to his ankles, the human stepped out of them wobbly. Using the bed as his last form of support, he had no choice but to go for it. In one last push of strength, he hoisted his body on top of the bed, just as his body began to refuse to move. But as he did this, he just barely grabbed the corner of the envelope, now holding it in his trembling hands.

Elias ripped the envelope open with his canines, spitting out the paper and having obviously lightly damaged the note inside. But he didn’t care about a slightly ripped note so long as he could read it. That was if he was capable enough to even take if out.

After fighting all instincts in his body to give up, the pain causing white spots in his vision and Elias crying out in whimpers, he got the envelope open.

Unable to hold anything anymore, the envelope fell onto his chest, sticking to it from sweat. The note fell to the side of his head, luckily propping itself up halfway so he could barely make out the text.

Through an extremely difficult effort, he was able to make out the words.

_”Elias,_

_I’ve gone to run some errands and I’ll be back later on. Feel free to read until I do._

_\- Satan”_

Elias let out a forced laugh, quickly followed by a sharp cry in agony.

” _Bastard.”_ The brunette thought as his consciousness faded. _“That fucking bastard.”_

Exhaustion taking over and thoughts beginning to blur, he passed out in the middle of Satan’s bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love cliffhangers.  
> Also, I’m so excited to be at my boy Satan’s first individual chapter! 😭♥️ He and Lucifer are my favorites, so I’m really looking forward to writing this!
> 
> And the scene with Belphie— What are your thoughts? As we near the end of the week, and the closer Elias gets to making a decision, I felt he would need some kind of support for the guilt he’s /still/ feeling. And since Belphegor’s personality and story meshes well with Elias’s own, it made sense for them to have that heart-to-heart. :) 
> 
> Still, please comment below and let me know what you thought of this chapter if you want to! I always look forward to seeing them. 💕


	10. Prolonged Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did Satan leave Elias to fend for himself? And did he find a way to lessen the burden of the collars effects?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha, it has been. Hell week at work. ( ´•̥×•̥` )
> 
> This chapter took awhile, but I hope you like it! I went a bit longer than usual \o/

_Nothing felt very familiar in this dream. It was somewhere he recognized, but..._

_Was he dreaming? Elias couldn’t remember. It hurt, it **hurts**. Not as bad as before... probably. But it still hurt. There was something he needed to make it stop... How did he make it stop?_

_The cold of the floor on his feet brought back awareness of heat, but that seemed to slowly be staving off with each stumbled step._

_”Help.”_

_The brunette choked out. Only one thing clicked and it was primal instinct to **find** something. To find someone. And the distorted door was what seemed to make the most sense in following._

_It all felt so wrong. Being away felt wrong. From what he had no idea, but he knew it had to stop._

_But upon reaching the door, his hopes were dashed._

_”No.. No..”_

_It was locked shut. And having no strength to do much more, the boy sank to the floor after stepping a foot back, curling up and wishing to wake up from this nightmare._

_••••_  
  
Elias came to momentarily after hearing a door click, but was too tired to open his eyes.

Whoever it was seemed to halt shortly after seeing the boy there and made no sound nor movement.

After that brief moment of shock passed, a cool hand was at his forehead. The contact was _intoxicating._ Enough so that in a burst of strength, Elias’s own flew out and gripped down on that hand so hard that he felt blood begin to pool from under his nails. Breathing picked up rapidly as he tried to get closer to it, but body still failing him.

The hand on his forehead stilled under his grip but didn’t pull away in pain. Instead, he could hear the figure sighing.

” _It’s already affecting you this much without your master at your side..”_

The hand was leaving him and even though Elias was holding on with all of his might, this person was clearly stronger.

Although the feeling was back soon enough, now amplified. He was being carried against someone, and everything felt better. Being this close felt so much better. 

They both traveled a short distance and slowly Elias could feel himself being lowered into a bed. 

‘ _No! Don’t leave again, no!’_

These thoughts were focused on the figure and them only. As this person began to pull away, Elias gripped onto what felt like their waist. 

“ _Please..”_

The brunette felt the whimper in his throat as he said that one word out loud.

Calm passed over the room again only when he felt the other sit on the bed with him, and although the person tried to realign Elias, the human refused to let go this time.

Once he felt a hand on his head was when the boy finally gave in and felt comfortable to relax, falling back into a much more peaceful sleep.

••••

Breathing evenly, the boy gradually stirred awake. His body felt heavy— his mind did too, actually. A very thick and emotionally overwhelming blanket seemed to hold his thoughts right now. It felt like he _should_ be in pain after all that was experienced, yet wasn’t.

Instead it felt serene. Safe. The nimble fingers running through his hair was like a guard almost, keeping all at bay that didn’t bring him comfort.

Finally the boys amber hues pried themselves open, and the warmth under him along with the soft lighting wasn’t unwelcome to wake up to.

”I see you’re awake.”

A male voice came from above him, fingers coming to a still in his locks.

Elias didn’t want to talk, though. So he nodded back to confirm, completely unbothered only because he wasn’t fully aware yet.

The voice didn’t push further. Maybe they were also waiting for Elias to come to?

Eyes bleary and blinking a few times, he nuzzled into the fabric under his face and took a deep breath trying to urge his body up.

Still, the figure said nothing, and didn’t move.

“Where are we?” The brunette finally mustered. Fog clouding his head, he was making up bits and pieces in his memory as he went. But if the other knew anything then maybe it would quicken the process.

”My room.”

His room?... Glancing around languidly Elias could see lots of books, and it clicked.

”Oh. Satan.”

Just barely propping himself up, he turned his head to make eye contact with the others’ green eyes. Right, he was with Satan today... He was _supposed_ to be with Satan today...

As if a flood rushed back all at once, Elias’s emotions mixed. Irritation, confusion, sadness, happiness, calm, rage, joy— Although the one that was most overwhelming was _anger._

”You _left me?”_

It was less of a statement and more of a question. Why would he do that? Why would he make Elias go through what he went through? Was he being punished for something? _What did he do wrong?_

”I know.”

Satan seemed to be repositioning the weak boy now, having him sit on his lap sideways as opposed to where he was previously— having been laying his head on the blond’s lap. Which, of course that was embarrassing, but not the main point right now.

Elias stared into the others eyes, holding onto his shirt in some fear that he would be left again— but also not letting go out of rage alone.

Satan knew those eyes all too well. He was the Avatar of Wrath, after all. Setting his book off to the side table, green eyes stared Elias down.

”I suppose you’d like an explanation.”

’ _Fuck yes I want an explanation.’_

The boy thought this, but only nodded in response.

”I didn’t _leave you._ Not really. The collars’ effects were just strong enough to override your control.” Satan said this all nonchalantly, but there was the faintest hint of a frown on his face. “Perhaps I may have miscalculated your ability to stave off effects.”

”You’re trying to say this is _my fault?”_ The human could just feel the pressure rising in his blood. What did that even mean, ‘stave off effects’? Of course he couldn’t! Being away from his Masters would cause pain. It was _written in the fucking contract!_

”No.” Although Satans’ implication made it seem to push the blame onto Elias, he clarified further. “I’m not saying this is ‘your fault’. I’m saying your subconscious control over it is weakening.”

”Or it could be because you _left!_ I was completely alone in the house! Of course that’s going to hurt!”

The blond shook his head as the human still didn’t understand.

” _You weren’t alone._ It just felt like that. Levi and Belphegor were in the house the entire time while I stayed out of your range.” Satan closed his eyes, annoyed almost at what he was saying.

“You shouldn't of deteriorated that quickly, but my guess is that due to the unique circumstance in which the contract has you bound to us, the repercussions are more severe. In other words,” Green hues met amber once more, a serious look in them.

“Your emotional and physical punishment is rapidly worsening due to the debt not being ‘paid’. If this was applied to Mammon, any amount of repayment in currency would be enough to lessen his response to effects for at least a short while.”

Satan seemed frustrated, but continued on. “It was my hope that progression would have been slower.”

Elias gathered what he was saying but didn’t know how this looped back to why he was left alone. Levi and Belphegor had been here the entire time?

”It... didn’t even feel like anyone was in the house with me...” The brunette recalled that painful loneliness, shuddering.

”In theory, it should have felt like it did the first night you slept away from all of us. But there are so many variables that have taken a life of their own now, it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact trigger of response.” Satan was scowling and his eyes seemed focused on the pile of books next to his bed.

Elias’s line of view followed and made out a few of the titles.

’ _Magical Contracts : Everything To Know’_

_’Legalities Of A Magical Contract’_

_’Bound By Magic, Free By Word : Magical Contract Loophole Exploitation’_

And that was only the top of the pile. The human looked back to Satan, eyes wider than before in sheer surprise. “You’ve been studying my contract this entire time?”

The demon didn’t blush, but did get a bit sheepish. “It’s just _infuriating_ at how well put together this is. If we weren’t in this current situation, I’d find this eye for detail impressive.”

The boy glanced down and loosened his grip on Satans’ shirt. “So... What you’re saying is that my ability to be away from any of you has been worsening quicker than it should be.” Elias frowned. “What does that mean? That I’ll soon enough not even be able to stay out of the same room?” Levi’s room was just a little ways away from his own. If he felt that awful at only being in Satan’s room alone then what would happen a few days from now? A week? A _month?_

“I can’t say for sure.” The demon glanced back at Elias, concern clouding his eyes.

”...So is that why you didn’t pick me up from school? _Locked me in your room?”_

Silence fell in the space before Satan broke it. “Yes.”

”To try an experiment.”

Satan stilled at the accusation. A look of hesitation falling over his features. ”...In a way. More so that I could gauge your threshold when sleep walking and distance away from me, but I never intended to make you suffer like that. The locked door was precautionary, I didn’t want you to wander off— I was _not_ locking you here to be completely alone.”

The blond sighed once more. “I understand if you’re apprehensive, but...” Satan stared back at Elias with a firm resolve. “Now we know the sleep walking is definitively due to your collar. If we hadn’t learned this, and you were in your room alone when it came to light, I cannot guarantee your body wouldn’t take a much more serious toll.”

 _‘So that’s why Satan did this.’_ The boy thought. ‘ _To test the sleep walking...’_ And it was true— If Elias had been alone in his room all night, too weak to get help because of the pain... It was too much to think about.

”Why didn’t it get this bad walking home from school, then?”

”It’s still a sliding scale.” The blond retorted. “Plus, I was at an extended distance while you walked back to observe. I had assumed due to Levi and Belphegor being in the house with you that the pain would subside, but clearly I was wrong.”

Even though he wasn’t directly saying it, Satan seemed apologetic, which Elias can’t say was typical. Then again, to make mistakes wasn’t typical of Satan either.

”...I get it I guess. At least why, that is. Did you really have to leave me alone for hours, though?” The brunette grumbled whilst carding a hand through his own hair.

Satan blinked, brows furrowing.

”Elias, I was gone for _thirty minutes.”_

The humans’ face paled slightly. 

“Only— You were only gone for thirty minutes?”

Nodding, the blond studied his features. “Yes. I wouldn’t leave you alone for such a prolonged period of time. I wanted to test the effects, not torture you.”

This revelation was staggering. It had felt like _hours_ at the very least. He reached up to touch the collar around his neck, frown more prominent. “Then... What do I do? Is-... Is there _anything_ I can do?”

Satan glanced him over and looked to be deep in thought. Finally his eyes diverted and he cleared his throat, cheeks just barely tinged pink. “I do have one idea.”

The boy perked up, turning in his lap to face him head on and stared attentively.

But that response just made Satan shift, sitting up as much as he possibly could before looking down at Elias again.

”It isn’t the best idea to attempt right now, however.” The blond didn’t seem to want to budge on this stance, willing away his fluster.

Elias was visibly upset at this. “ _No._ At the very least you need to _tell me_ what you’re thinking. Even if it was a miscalculation on your part regarding the contract, you still could have told me about before doing it— the same exact thing applies here.”

After all, even if Satan had done this to understand more about the contract, he went about it all wrong. The human didn’t want to be left out of anymore decisions like this.

But the demons’ expression was blank, sighing again. “Critically speaking, telling you about what I’d planned would have made it _worse.”_ Satan brought his hand down to Elias’s collar, examining it. “If I were to tell you I was going to leave you alone, your guard would be too high up to get an accurate result.” The blond mumbled. “And while I didn’t anticipate that intense of a reaction, I still wasn’t about to put you through it more than once.” His eyes rose back up to meet the humans’. “You do trust that in what I’m saying at least, don’t you?”

Elias felt a blush creep up his neck at the others unusually sweet demeanor. Satan and he shared similarities in personalities. They liked to figure things out on their own, their interests could be a bit consuming, both had a deep appreciation for reading. They were intelligent, but given the fact Satan had _way_ more time under his belt, he always beat Elias out in that category. Still, they’d spent enough time together for the human to know this was his way of caring... And he _did_ trust him.

The boy crossed his arms. “You’re annoying when you make sense like that.”

Satan raised an eyebrow, smiling just a little. “Was that even a compliment?”

”It wasn’t meant to be. I’m still mad at you.” It was a blatant lie, but this sleep deprivation did some weird things to the brunettes usual candor.

”I can’t say I’m used to you like this. Did you sleep at all last night?” The demon said this this with a barest hint of amusement.

”...No.” The fact that Satan could so easily read his attitude was more infuriating today than he’d normally find it to be.

The blond laughed, resting his hands back at Elias’s hips. “Right. You should sleep until dinner, then.”

Flushing pink, the brunette looked down at Satan’s hands, seemingly lost in thought. He stayed like this for a few moments before raising his hand weakly in front of the demon, eyes still downcast and mumbling.

” _...Pinky promise you’ll tell me after dinner.”_

Once again the room was silent. Elias dared not look up, for he could feel his fluster only getting worse. But despite that, he truly _was_ still very tired— if the attitude didn’t make it evident enough. Furthermore, he wanted some confirmation, but didn’t have the energy to pry and insist on the importance of being told. So a pinky promise was the easier route, albeit definitely more embarrassing. Somehow the sleep deprivation both emboldened and wore the human down.

Elias felt something wrap around his finger and he lifted his gaze to the blond, who was now linking pinkies with him. Satan’s brows were furrowed and even he was having a seemingly difficult time keeping eye contact, barely blushing, but wasn’t backing down.

”You’re really... such a strange person, Elias.”

Elias forced his smile back before letting go of the other’s pinky and moved off his lap.

”Is that a bad thing?”

The brunette pulled the blanket over himself and went to lay down on the pillow next to where the demon sat, but instead was redirected, his head once more on Satan’s lap. Elias felt his body go even hotter, hearing Satan mumble as he picked his book back up with one hand and placed his other on Elias’s head to continue petting him.

”Not at all.”

Smiling, the boy fell back into a deep sleep, completely content.

••••

When Elias woke up, he was warm. Comfortable. A smile graced his lips as he rolled away from the blond so he could stretch out, body contorting almost like a cat. He felt _much_ better.

Satan picked his hand up off of the brunettes’ head, not taking his eyes off of the book he was reading but for a moment to glance in the boy’s direction.

”You still have about 20 minutes left until dinner. You can keep sleeping if you’d like.”

”Mm.. No, I’m okay.” The human covered his mouth as he yawned whilst sitting up, still stretching his arms. “If I sleep any longer I might not be able to later tonight.”

Satan nodded and flipped a page. 

“Well, if you want to wash up before dinner, you can borrow some clothes. Or I could walk to your room and grab some.” He replied.

Elias frowned, staring at the demon now. “What? I can come too, right?”

With his facial expression giving away his amusement, Satan slowly lowered his book after putting a placeholder between the pages. 

“Of course you’re welcome to accompany me. I had just assumed you wouldn’t want to go dressed like _that.”_

Even though Elias still had the shirt on, he _was_ practically naked.

’ _How does this keep happening?’_ Was the one thought in the boys head as he quickly re-buttoned his shirt, looking away.

”Why are you only saying something now?” The brunette stumbled on his wording, clearing his throat, and thankful his lower half was at least still completely covered by the blanket.

”I didn’t know you would of thought it important, seeing as you were asleep.” Satan replied, teasing ever so slightly.

”Can I borrow some clothes?” Elias spoke just above a whisper and sighed as he relented. “I think I’m going to shower, I got very... warm earlier.” He could still feel dried sweat making the shirt stick to his lower back, and wanted it to go away.

”Of course.” Getting up, the blond was at his dresser, and nodded towards his bathroom door. “Go and wash up, I’ll leave the clothes right outside the bathroom door.”

Elias was grateful that the other got preoccupied searching for things the brunette could wear, taking the opportunity to slip out of bed and feel less awkward at how naked he truly felt. “Thank you. I’ll be out soon!” 

Right before Elias fully shut the bathroom door, he glanced back at Satan over his shoulder. Half hiding behind the door frame, a look of worry crossed his face as he watched the blond. Mustering some courage, he finally spoke up.

”...You’ll be here when I get out, right?” Even though he already knew the answer, for his own peace of mind, the human needed to hear it.

Satan’s attention was grabbed when Elias piped up, staring at the smaller figure half hidden behind the doorway. A look of rare affection crossed the demon’s features.

”Of _course_ I’ll be here when you get out.”

The reassurance was all he needed, nodding and slipping into the bathroom with the door clicking shut behind him.

••••

  
Once freshly showered, Elias wrapped a nearby towel around his waist after roughly drying off his hair with it, doing a pretty half ass job at drying off altogether. Water cascaded down his neck and dripped off the damp strands onto the floor as the boy half opened the bathroom door to reach out and grab the clothes put out for him. Except, there weren’t any.

Brows knitting together, he cautiously stepped out of the bathroom.

”Satan?”

Satan was on the other end of the room, half leaning over his desk and scribbling something down before his attention was caught by the human. When he made eye contact, the blond seemed to freeze momentarily. Green eyes scanned his body without trying to even hide it. Elias shy’d away at the examination, clearing his throat.

”Um, the clothes?”

”Right.” Almost immediately regaining his sense of composure, the demon grabbed the neatly folded pile he’d set on the top of his desk and walked over to the brunette, holding them under one arm.

”I didn’t want to put them on the floor, seeing as you just cleaned yourself off... However,” Once the demon had made it to Elias, he hesitated handing him the clothes, giving the human a once over and staring at the water he was getting all over the floor. “Did I not provide enough to dry off with? You’re tracking water everywhere.”

The scolding was gentle, but still. Elias blushed and looked away, almost feeling like he was in trouble. “Sorry— I- I rushed a little. To get ready for dinner. I’ll clean it up.” The brunette muttered.

”Even so, you’re soaked.” Satan replied quickly and used the free hand that wasn’t holding the spare clothes to tilt the other’s chin up and hold eye contact. “Even the hell hounds I’ve cared for in the past dried themselves by shaking better than you have.” Satan slowly felt a grin appear while staring him down, swiping a water droplet off the others’ bottom lip as it fell after falling from a strand of his hair to the tip of his nose. Even though his tone came across in a joking way, something in his gaze was serious. “Do you need me to dry you off instead?”

Elias went bright red, stilling where he stood at the words. Green hues locked him in place before another droplet falling onto his cheek broke the trance. Swiftly grabbing the clothes in Satan’s hands, he shook his head gently as to not make water fly everywhere.

”N—No! I’m fine!” The bold offer, even though it was likely just to tease him, caught the brunette off guard. “I’ll be out soon!” Hurriedly shuffling back into the bathroom, he closed the door behind him and tried to catch his breath.

Meanwhile the demon stood outside the door, bringing a hand to his chin after stifling a laugh. Even though he was amused, he still looked as if his offer had been completely serious. Satan walked away after a few more seconds, going back to whatever he was doing before.

••••

Elias and Satan went to dinner, with the boy wearing just a casual light green sweater and some light wash jeans. Even though the pants were a bit big, so he also had to borrow a belt and roll up the ankles slightly.

Everything went alright, and surprisingly no one had brought up what he was wearing as opposed to the night before. Maybe because Satan’s wardrobe and Elias’s comfy sweater collection were too similar to differentiate unless being directly compared? Either way, if anyone _had_ noticed, nothing was said.

The boy had worried about if they should bring up what happened earlier in the day. Even though he was fine now, and he did want to inform Lucifer of what they discovered, he didn’t want to get the blond into trouble. Satan showed no hesitation though, only gaining the boy’s attention briefly as a warning before speaking up.

”It seems that Elias’s sleep walking is still linked to his collar, by the way.” The demon set down his utensils and made direct eye contact with the eldest brother, the rest of the small talk in the room dying down. “So I don’t think stopping the sleeping arrangements would be wise.”

”Oh?” Lucifer put down the glass he’d been drinking from, giving both Satan and Elias his full attention. “And what makes you say that? I’m guessing there’s been another incident?”

”Yes.” The fourth born made no move to give anyone else the floor. “Earlier today, while Elias was in my room, he had ended up sleepwalking for a short distance.”

”I see. Well, that’s good to know for the sleeping arrangements going forward.” Lucifer leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “But then begs the question of _how_ this was discovered? _Elias?”_

Lucifer calling to him made the brunette jump in his seat a bit, looking at the other after glancing around the room. He didn’t want to get Satan in trouble, but... How could this be explained in a way that _wouldn’t_?

”I’ll answer that.” Satan insisted and gave the human a side glance. But before he could continue, the boy intervened.

“It was because of me.” He piped in, holding Lucifer’s gaze. “I— I thought I could make the trip from my room to his. But, I couldn’t, and... I fell asleep. Then tried to walk back on my own. Satan found me sleep walking, so...”

The blond sitting next to Elias seemed a bit disgruntled, even though he was staying quiet while listening to the blatant lie.

Lucifer hummed, that signature don’t-bullshit-me grin on his lips. “Is that so. Then I suppose you won’t object to me asking you directly. Elias, is what you just said _true?”_

Nothing could get past Lucifer.

Elias was determined to try and follow through, but he simply couldn’t speak. He knew if he tried, the answer that would come out of his mouth would be ‘ _No.’_ due to the collars influence.

His face went red as he tried to will himself to finish what he started, but Satan wasn’t having it.

”No, that’s not what happened.” The demon sighed and shook his head. “I had left Elias in my room for a short period of time to test the effects of the collar. As you can see, he’s okay, but it had a much more drastic effect pain wise than originally thought.” Everything that came out of his mouth was matter of fact, even though Elias could hear the twinge of regret between words. “Even though what I had assumed was correct, I miscalculated how intense the reaction would be. Keeping him close to at least one of us as often as we can is the proper course of action.”

The other six brothers seemed to understand but were overall displeased with this knowledge and what had been done, although Lucifer’s gaze was the most severe.

Similarly though, Elias wasn’t about to just let the other get berated. “ _Hold on._ Yes, I was in his room alone— but only for a few minutes. And on top of that, if he hadn’t of done this and I _had_ been left alone once the week was up, I could of gotten really, _really_ hurt.” He pointed to Satan and looked him down harshly, eyes narrowing. “You’ve been researching this more than any of us, so I _trust_ that whatever you did was to keep me safe.” He crossed his arms, looking back to Lucifer. “And that is _not_ a lie.”

”Are you okay, though?” Beelzebub broke the tension, asking what everyone was thinking.

Elias blinked, a bit confused that _that_ was what he wanted to know. “Yeah, I’m completely fine.”

The redhead nodded in understanding. “That’s all that matters then, right?” He turned to his brothers.

Belphegor hummed, leaning on his pillow and staring at Elias. “If that’s what he says. Knowing Satan, he wouldn’t of just done something extreme like _that_ without warrant.”

”Wait, wait, wait!” Mammon crossed his arms, staring at Satan. “I wanna see this research, too!” His eyes narrowed. “How do we know he wouldn’t be just doin’ this for!... Ya’know...!” The white haired demon blushed at the thought while making hand motions that weren’t really decipherable.

”For _kinky_ reactions?” Asmodeous added, a smirk on his lips at the implication. “At least Satan’s has another, practical purpose if that’s the case. Meanwhile I’m sure your fantasies of Elias are just for your own gain, hmm?” Asmo teased and Mammon’s fluster doubled.

”What?! Me?! For a _human?!_ D-don’t be ridiculous! I’m **THE** Mammon! No way, no how I’d think of a human like that!” He forced a laugh and cleared his throat. “I just wanted— Ijust wanna make sure he wasn’t messing up the research is all!”

”You say that like you would understand his research even if you saw it.” Leviathan interjected, frowning. “You’re the dumbest one at the table.”

”In this _house.”_ Satan corrected, a frightening smile on his face as he stared Mammon down for what he had said.

”Right!” Levi laughed. “Even Henry could do better on a RAD pop quiz than you would!”

”Oi, oi! How come this always turns back around to bashing me, huh?” The second born scowled, glancing between the others.

”Cause’ you make it too easy.” Belphie added, eyes closed as he was laying his head on his pillow, completely unbothered by the angry tone in Mammon’s voice.

”Well, whatever! This is about _Satan,_ not me!”

”Ah. As rare as the occurrence is, Mammon is correct.” Lucifer crossed his arms. “While Elias isn’t harmed, the fact still stands that it was a hasty decision. Seeing how he seems adamant that this was necessary, you’re fine for now, though not off the hook. I’ll find a fitting punishment in time.”

The raven haired demon turned his attention back to the human who’d just been listening in quietly. “If you’d prefer to _not_ stay with Satan in his room tonight, though, you’re more than welcome to chose someone else as a substitute.”

Elias glanced around the room before settling on Satan, who was staring him down for an answer. It wasn’t scary, but he could tell that the blond was pissed off about _something._ Probably because he’d interrupted and saved Satan’s ass from whatever more severe punishment would have been doled out should Elias of stayed quiet. Even so, he never found any malicious intent. And he wasn’t scared of being with Satan.

”No, I’m fine staying with him.” The brunette mumbled, looking back to Lucifer.

Lucifer didn’t seem the least bit surprised. “That settles that, then. We’ll move forward with this newfound information accordingly.” Smirking ever so slightly, he added on. “My apologies. I know how much you _loathed_ my initial decision, as well as how badly you wanted to be alone in your room once more.”

Elias blushed and remembered how hesitant he was at the beginning, feigning a huff and suppressing a smile. “...Guess I’ll just have to deal with it.”

Lucifer chuckled, picking up his glass and bringing it to his lips. “I suppose so.”

••••

Once Elias and Satan were back in the demons’ room, he could feel how off the atmosphere was. And he knew why, of course.

”Hey, Satan?”

”Yes.” The reply was short, and less of an answer as much as it was acknowledgment of his name. Clearly the blond was irritated, making a small pile of books and putting some others away as he stood in front of one of the many cases, completely distracted from Elias’s person.

”...Are you... Mad?” He knew it was the wrong word the second he said it, as Satan had instinctively let out a laugh at the question. But Elias wasn’t sure what other word to use.

” _No._ If I was ever truly upset, you and the rest of the Devildom would know.” His eyes shifted to amber for a moment. “I don’t need protection from any of my brothers, much less _Lucifer.”_ The demon said his name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Elias lightly rolled his eyes. “Come on. Everything I said was true— I was only speaking from my own perspective. He would have asked anyway, you know that.” The brunette approached Satan slowly with his arms crossed. “All I did was clarify so you wouldn’t get yelled at for things you’d originally left open for interpretation.”

Satan turned to the boy with a hand on his hip, sighing. “I don’t care about how it came across nor the reaction Lucifer would’ve had. All they needed to know were the results.”

”I know that.” The human tilted his head, frowning. “Don’t _you_ know by now that I know that? It’s not like I begged him to let you get off without consequence. You’re still getting punished, right?”

The implication of punishment seemed to equally annoy and intrigue the blond. He just shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Truly, what am I going to do with you?”

”Well _for starters—“_ Elias ginned, taking the opportunity for a subject change and walked over to Satan’s bed, patting the spot next to him. 

“ _Tell me about your idea.”_

 _••••_  
  
Satan hummed at the boy and made his way over before sitting next to him, interest now piqued.

“I guess it is after dinner now.”

” _And_ you pinky promised.”

Satan held back a smile.

”I did. You want me to tell you, then?”

Elias nodded, clearly interested, leaning forward as he spoke.

Humming to himself in thought, Satan quickly tugged the human onto his lap in the same position he had been sitting earlier in the day, much to Elias’s surprise. But he didn’t falter and moved to his lap where the other wanted him, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

The demon took in a deep breath, green eyes locking onto his amber ones.

”Prolonged contact seems to be the _best_ way to keep effects minimum. Skin on skin, like holding hands, is better than hugging whilst clothed for example.” Narrowing his eyes, the blonds’ demeanor changed. “You’ve felt it too, right?”

After recalling the feeling of holding hands with the other boys and how it seemed to almost be the one thing that got him through school most days, he nodded cautiously. Elias never even noticed it before, but the longer contact he had with each boy prior to school, the better he tended to feel the next he was away. Like he was recharging.

”So if holding hands is enough to satiate your need for contact through a school day,” Satan’s hand came up and traced from Elias’s collar to further down his shoulder, pointing firmly. “I wonder how long a hickey would last?”

••••

The brunette blushed a deep red at the shift in atmosphere, breath hitching when he felt a finger trace his skin down to his shoulder. It made his body tingle and mind melt to think about how good it would feel to be _marked._

”...You really think so?” The boy mumbled, gulping. Truly though, he didn’t need much convincing.

Satan chuckled before his smirk came to surface, green irises still holding his amber gaze without faltering. “I won’t tell you that there aren’t ulterior motives. But I do think it will work.”

Elias glanced away, unable to take such a hardened gaze, and embarrassed at the open admission. “The others will see.”

”I’ll make sure it’s in a mostly clothed spot.” The demon assured, leaning down to whisper into the humans’ ear. “ _Let’s try out an experiment together this time.”_

Although he wasn’t completely buying what Satan was saying, it didn’t mean the offer wasn’t tempting. Embarrassing, but tempting.

So he grumbled to himself, pink as a peach, and tilted his head so the other had better access.

”...I guess... You can.” Elias shut his eyes tightly and took in a sharp breath as preparation. “Just— Just do it.”

The blond grinned a bit more, laughing. 

“You’re quite bossy even though you’re the one here wearing a collar.”

That one comment set the human on edge and emboldened him all at once. “...Yeah? Well, _I’m_ not the one who’s going to be getting punished even if I’m wearing the collar.” He had turned to the blond again, now to stare right back.

Satans’ face was definitely more than aggravated at the attitude, but he tried to force his smile through it. “Punishment, huh? Either way, talking to me like that isn’t a good idea on your part. Collar or no collar, you will _not_ talk to me that way.”

The human let out a laugh, pushing his bounds a bit further. The threat was likely empty... right?

“Sure. Of course _I_ shouldn’t talk to _you_ like this... But _Lucifer_ can.”

Satan picked up on the sarcasm dripping in his voice, but the last comment is what set him off. Even if he did initiate the teasing, that didn’t condone this behavior.

”Get off my lap.”

Elias’s body moved off without protest, but a look of panic rose in his eyes. “Wait— Wait! What about... You were going to test it out, right?” He was almost a bit sad, wondering if he pushed too far.

Satan stood nonchalantly and brushed off his clothes, walking across the room to grab a chair, and placed it at the midway point between his desk and his bed.

”That depends on you. Are you going to continue to be a _little brat_ , or will you listen to me?”

The brunette narrowed his eyes and huffed. “You teased me first! What, you can tease me but I can’t back?” The want for contact was definitely the most prominent thing in the humans’ mind after having just been so close, though. “Just hurry up and do it. I wanna know if it works, too..” Blushing, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Elias stood off of the bed and began to walk towards the other.

” _ **Stop.**_ ” 

A curt and concise demand, he obeyed, stilling in his tracks. After a second the boy began to laugh a little nervously, but was a bit annoyed as well. “Enjoying the power trip much?”

Even though Elias was joking, the look in Satan’s eyes actually did look more sadistic every time a commend was obediently followed out.

” ** _Sit._** ”

Once more, Elias followed, and sat on the floor in front of the demon while going more and more red. “Hey- knock it off! I get it!” The humiliation set in now, the human barely managing to look up at the demon.

”Should the next order be to roll over, or are you going to behave?”

Blushing and biting the inside of his cheek, the brunette looked away. He knew it was useless to argue, but that didn’t make him any less set in his defiance. He wanted to fight back, but...

”Well? You should give me an answer, otherwise we’re both just wasting our time.”

”...Yes.”

The demon suppressed his smirk, crossing his legs and propping his head up on his hand.

”Yes, what?”

A slew of profanities were going off in Elias’s mind at how embarrassing this was. He couldn’t get more flustered, but he knew Satan. He _knew_ that if he refused the boy wouldn’t get what he wanted and likely sit here until he did.

”...Yes, I’ll behave.”

The demon sighed, shutting his eyes momentarily. “Not _exactly_ what I wanted to hear, but I suppose it will do.” Beckoning him with his finger, one last command rolled off his tongue.

”Come here.”

Standing once more the boy walked over to the chair, and Satan repositioned him back in his lap while running a hand through the others’ chestnut hair.

”That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” 

“Your other brothers were much much gentler, you know.” The boy mumbled, bright red. “They were always so careful about commanding me, meanwhile, you’re _enjoying it._ ”

”Well I’m not my brothers for one. And two, you’re _sorely mistaken_ if you think I need a collar around your neck to convince you to follow my commands.” The blond spoke with such confidence that Elias’s mouth went dry.

”You’re not denying you enjoy it. You think you could control me that easily?” The human stared Satan down to the best of his ability, but his blush overtook any intimidation he tried to show off.

The stare didn’t at all deter the blond. If anything, it just egged him on further. “I don’t think, I _know._ The same way I _know_ you’re a brat who likes to be ordered around in the first place. I pick up on these things more often than not, and I’m simply using it to my advantage.” Satan looked over the brunette, taking in his form. “But if you **_really_** hate it, then I’ll stop.”

Damn this man and his impossibly high standard of observation. Even if it was true, everyone else at least had the common courtesy to not mention it if they did see. And now Elias could either admit this and prove the other right, or deny it and not get what he wanted.

The silence in the room was broken by his flushed admission. “...Just give me the hickey.”

Smug expression etched onto his face, Satan lightly gripped onto Elias’s hair as he pulled his head to the side. His mouth hovered and traveled down the length of his neck before reaching the end of his collarbone. Without hesitation, the demon bit down before sucking softly, sure to leave it’s mark in place.

Meanwhile, the boy was in bliss from the moment he felt Satan’s lips over his skin. He actually had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from making any indecent sounds. His mind flashed back to being in bed with Beelzebub and how strong the collars pull felt after that type of intimate touch. This was so, _so_ much stronger.

It barely lasted a few seconds, But when Satan pulled away he took a moment to examine his work, admiring the red color that would later morph into a deeper purple. “That will last awhile, at the very least.” His confidence was overwhelming. “So, how did it feel?”

Elias’s body was shaking at the reminiscent feeling of lips on his skin, eyes half lidded and panting softly with his hand still over his mouth. The only response he could manage was a nod.

Satan looked at the boys’ expression of lust and inhaled deeply, eyed tracing Elias’s body in intrigue. After a moment the blond released the grip on his hair, brought his finger up to the O ring and hooked it, tugging the brunette closer to his face.

”You aren’t wrong.” He answered Elias’s previous question. “I _do_ enjoy having power over you. Seeing you in compromising situations like this.” Satan’s other hand found the small of Elias’s back to support his weight as the blond leaned his body in closer. “Call it what you will, but I think you’re most attractive when you have no other option but to obey.“ He laughed softly, resting his forehead against the crook of the human’s neck. “Mammon wasn’t completely wrong in what he said at dinner, either.”

Satan now seemed a little cautious, but not nervous at all.

”I really... _Love_ thinking about you under my touch. I don’t want to cause pain to the degree of what you felt earlier— even though it wasn’t intentional— but I _do_ enjoy... Thinking of you like that.” His face pulled back just barely, and out of the corner of Elias’s eye he could see the demon staring him down, green eyes sharp and filled with want, cheeks barely reddened. “Seeing your body react to pain I caused would be **_thrilling._** ”

Breath hitching, the human shut his eyes and bit his own lip, gulping harshly so he could force down the stuttered words he desperately wanted to say.

Satan found the display to be endearing, laughing against Elias’s skin before pulling away and releasing his grip on the O ring.

” _But,_ it’s not time to do anything like that. Yet.” His hand rose to the brunettes cheek, regaining his attention and smiling. “If the hickey works, you’re welcome to come back for another should you need to. Of course, my brothers could probably supply them as well, but...” The blond smirked, eyes glinting. “I’m not reporting this research, so you’d have to ask them _directly.”_

Which, of course, Elias would _not_ be able to coherently explain WHY and HOW he would need one, let alone directly _ask them to give it._

Amber eyes glared down the demon, but Satan showed no regret in what he said. 

“Now,” The blond stood abruptly and hooked one hand underneath the brunette, his other holding Elias’s back tightly so they were chest to chest and standing up. Responding to the sensation of being lifted, the boy hooked his arms around Satan’s neck, blinking in surprise. But the demon left no room for questioning, walking the boy over to the bathroom and gently setting him down in front of the door. “You’re welcome to _refresh_ yourself in here. So long as you clean up your mess better than you did earlier.”

Except, he wasn’t sure what Satan meant. Only when he was standing there for a moment did he realize that due to the belt having cinched the jeans so close to his body, his half hard erection was pretty evident. Without saying anything back, Elias quickly turned around and slammed himself shut in the restroom. Satan stood at the door, covering his grin with a hand, talking through it. “I guess we’ll test out that theory right now, then. I’m going to pick up your things from your room. I’ll be back shortly.”

Footsteps were heard briefly before Satan’s main door clicked shut, leaving Elias trying to catch his breath leaning against the bathroom door.

••••

“ _Bastard.”_ The brunette was biting his lip, choking that out alongside moans and desperately jerking himself off. But even with the profanities, his need for this trumped anything else in the moment. Nearly doubled over on the floor while chasing his release, his other hand was at his O ring, tugging at it gently to try and recreate the pull he felt while on Satan’s lap. “ _Fuc-king— bastard, ah- hah—“_

His moans were breathy and dripping with lust. The place where the hickey was left felt _hot,_ like he could still feel lips on his body. Elias imagined what he meant when he said he wanted to see him react. He thought about Satan’s fingers running along the length of his spine. He remembered the feeling of his hair being tugged, and thought about where else his lips would feel good.

” _Ah_ _, ahah, haa—“_ Voice only getting more ragged, Elias struggled to control it. He barely started to touch himself three minutes before but already got himself so close to the edge.

Body trembling with each stroke, he remembered what the blond said about not making a mess.

Whimpering, Elias forced himself to stand, steadying the pace of his hand so he could focus on stumbling over to the bathroom counter. He grabbed three tissues before sliding back to the floor, resuming.

Balling the tissues in his fist, Elias brought bottom of the sweater up to his mouth to hold between his teeth. He then brought that hand down to play with his balls as his other picked up the speed of his strokes once more.

Eyes opening to be half lidded, the brunette watched his release get closer and closer, his hand moving faster as his abdomen tightened. With a final broken and muffled moan he shut his eyes and aimed towards his chest before cumming all over himself.

The white and warm fluid slowly started to drip down his body, but the boy make quick work of cleaning himself so nothing dripped onto the floor.

After he cleaned himself up, Elias relished in his short lived afterglow, barely managing to get ahold of his breathing before he heard the door to Satan’s room click open. That was all he needed before forcing himself to his feet and recomposing himself, trying desperately to not think about what he just did.

••••

Satan handed Elias’s regular pajamas to him through a crack in the door, and the brunette took them without a word. After getting ready for bed, he cautiously peaked his head out to stare at Satan who was sitting in bed reading, red as could be and trying to make sense of what happened in the last hour and a half.

Apparently he’d been standing there for too long, Satan speaking without looking away from his page.

”You can come lay down now, if you want. You must be exhausted.”

Elias eyed him for another second and then stepped out of the bathroom, slowly making his way to the bed and slipping underneath the covers, never taking his eyes off the blond until Satan himself glanced over. The other making eye contact was enough to break Elias’s own line of sight, diverting his amber hues away.

Satan smiled, looking back to his book as they stayed like that in silence for another 25 minutes.

Finally, Elias mustered the courage to speak up, half hiding his red face under the blanket as he did.

”...What...What are you reading?” Even though his voice was small, Satan could still make it out.

”A book on the beginnings of magical contracts and the most common ways to break them.”

”...Oh...”

Silence befell the room again before Satan chimed in.

”Would you like to read something too?”

Elias thought about it, deciding it would probably be better than just sitting in some awkward silence.

The brunette nodded. “Sure.”

Satan held his book open in his lap with one hand, the other reaching into his bedside table and pulling out another, handing it to Elias.

“Making The Most Of Magical Contracts?” The boy read the title out loud while shifting in the bed to be more comfortable, now sitting up more and propping his head against a pillow, glancing to Satan in confirmation.

”Did you want to read something else? These are the only kinds I have close to my bed right now.”

Elias hid his smile behind the book when he said that, realizing that meant that these have been the only book types he’s touched over the last few days. All for his sake.

”No. This is perfect, thanks.”

Elias opened up to the intro, and the calm and warm glow of the floating candles in Satan’s room relaxed his entire body. Any embarrassment he felt prior melted away due to the calm and comforting aura the blond was giving off. Before he knew it, Elias lost himself reading his book right beside the demon.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So because it was a weird week there’s a preeeeetty good chance I may come back and touch up this chapter. It depends really on how well it’s received, I rewrote it a few times because I felt like I wasn’t hitting the character the way I wanted to, but also this week has been A L O T so it could just be my brain overthinking lol. Let me know if you like this chapter or not, and thank you for reading! 💕


	11. Invisible Collars vs Real Collar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elias finds a new bit of freedom with the gift Satan 'bestowed'. Solomon has some questions and interesting insight. Amidst all of this, Leviathan is trying his best to be there for the brunette, but finding it more difficult than he originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi is such a cute character ;v; <3 The awkward but excitable otaku types are such a fav trope of mine! Thank you for your patience as I get these chapters out!!

When Elias felt shifting next to him was when he became conscious again, not even having realized he’d fallen asleep to begin with.

His mind felt well rested, though. So did his body. Which made sense, considering how tired he had been before, a nice and long rest was what he needed. There was no hesitation when his eyes flitted open, feeling something under him rise and fall in even succession.

Satan, who was completely asleep, had Elias resting on his chest. The human had been on his side with the blonds arm holding him against his body.

Slowly and carefully, he sat up to get a better look at the other.

Satan— when he was asleep, at least— looked pretty cute. Even, dare he say, docile. But he knew that if he ever actually said that out loud to the demon, it wouldn’t be pretty. It wasn’t really in his nature, but it was amusing to think about.

Elias stifled a soft laugh, instead just examining his features for another short moment then grabbing his own D.D.D to check the time.

‘ _4:00 AM.’_

The boy paused, looking at the indent of where he had been laying. Maybe he could try and go back to bed? He can’t even recall when he’d fallen asleep. 

The memories of last night resurfaced. He had been laying in bed with Satan and reading. That’s when he probably conked out. Before that he was...

Elias’s hand subconsciously touched the hickey on his neck, and his chest went taut. Feeling his cheeks heat up, the boy stared at the unconscious culprit in front of him that gave him it.

The day prior had been a roller coaster. 

’ _I’m not the least bit tired now.'_

Humming to himself while trying to figure out if he should lay back down, he stole another glance, staring at the blond. Cheeks heating up, he was recalling in depth the feeling of the hickey. More importantly than that, the snarky and overly confident attitude Satan had. He was so _certain_ of his control, and honestly, it was a bit true. But still, to hurt a mans pride like that... Elias perked up suddenly, a thought coming to pass.

A very stupid, but also very self satisfying idea hit him.

' _YoU'rE sOrElY mIsTaKeN iF yOu ThInK i NeEd A cOlLaR aRoUnD yOuR nEcK tO cOnViNcE yOu To FoLlOw My DeMaNdS'_

What Satan said the night before rang in the brunettes ears mockingly, mouthing along to the words as he thought them, his blush only getting more intense. He was so confident Elias was right under his thumb, and it was a bit more than annoying. While he'd never said anything that wasn't true, that didn't mean the human wanted to be subjected to his thoughts laid bare. And that was the _exact_ type of thing the blond delighted in doing the most.

And it was precisely because of that delight, that some revenge was in order.

Opening up a picture app on his phone, Elias hovered close to the blond, but not enough to wake him. Just enough to get him in clear view.

Pulling up a cute cat photo filter, he took a picture of Satan's sleeping face. Honestly, he looked kind of precious like this. White fluffy cat ears and a little heart sticker nose. 

Elias grinned and went to the next setting, one with a bit more humorous context, Satan now looking like there was a snore bubble on his face.

Quickly turning away so he wouldn't laugh, he took the picture, swiping again to the next filter before re-angling the camera's position.

After about 20 or so shots later, Elias set his phone back to the side. The blond was a decently heavy sleeper, surprisingly enough. And this was all very satisfying, like his own little secret taste of revenge. Of course he would never actually _do_ anything with these, seeing how his days would be cut short if they got out into public view, but just knowing he had them caused Elias's chest to puff with a bit of pride.

' _Who's got power over who now?'_

Even though his thoughts were sharp and impetuous, the brunette was smiling. This had been fun, and it was exciting in it's own way.

So long as they were kept _secret_.

Stretching once more, the boy sighed and shifted out from his side. He'd taken a good 30 minutes getting the right angles and taking those photos. After all, whenever Satan had moved or grumbled in his sleep, Elias had to take pause and wait for a minute or two before continuing.

Standing up from the bed, he took care to tread lightly across the floorboards, making his way to the books on piled upon one another.

  
••••

At 6:30 AM, the alarm besides Satan's bed went off, and Elias tore his attention away from the book he was reading across the room to glance over at the groggy blond.

"Morning."

Sitting up in bed, the demon turned to face where the voice came from, shutting off the alarm that had been previously blaring.

"Good morning. When did you wake up?" His voice was deeper than usual, forcing himself into a sitting position drowsily.

Standing from the comfortable chair he was sprawled across, legs swinging from resting across the arm of it to his feet now planted firmly on the floor, Elias stood in brief thought. 

"About... 4:00? I think."

Satan smiled and stood up as well, lightly rolling his neck to wake himself up.

"Makes sense. You passed out pretty early."

"Considering my sleep schedule the past few days, can you blame me?"

The blond laughed softly and languidly made his way over to where Elias was now leaning against his desk, book clutched to his chest.

"No, I suppose not."

Without any prior warning, Satan brought his hand up to Elias's shirt and tugged the collar to the side so he could better see his skin. A look of gratification played on his face, and he hummed.

"It's a pretty deep purple for how short of a time I spent giving it to you." His index finger gently dragged over the hickey that was now very visible on the other's neck. "I forget how fragile humans are on occasion."

Letting out a flustered huff and resisting the urge to lean into the electric touch, the brunette gently swatted the others hand away, mumbling to himself while looking to the side.

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe humans aren't fragile, but rather you're just stronger than normal? I was the strongest in my class, you know."

Frowning, the blond took his hand back. "Really...? You were the _strongest_ in your class?"

Elias's head swiveled to stare down the other, the tips of his ears going hot. " _Don't say that like it's a surprise!"_

Satan let out a lively chuckle at the small outburst, smiling at flustered brunette. "I wasn't sure how this would work out, but I'd deem it successful. You didn't feel compelled to come to me at any point during the night?"

The human regained his composure while listening to the other, nodding his head in cognizance, a little shocked as he came to notice just now. "Ah..."

Over the past few days, he never really was alone. Beelzebub kept close contact, Asmodeous was _always_ trying to touch him, and since he and Belphegor spent so much time together between sleeping and talking, he hadn't had time alone. Voluntarily, that is. So him willingly staying away from the blond while he could be in bed with him— That was progress, right?

"So that's a no?"

Elias blinked a few times, and barely smiled at the realization that a bit of his freedom over his mind had been returned. And he hadn't even comprehended it before Satan made him aware! "No, no. I didn't even think about it."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that." His eyes glazed over a little. "You won't have to grab onto us anymore for comfort. That's a step in the right direction at the very least." Satan's reply was genuine, but for some reason, he looked disappointed in a way. "I'm going to wash before breakfast. You should get dressed." Before he had gone to walk away, Elias paused in thought. When he came back to himself, he reached out and was able to just grasp the end of the the demons' shirt.

"Ahh... Er..."

Satan had turned to look back at the human, one eyebrow raised in question.

"...We can... Still..."

"What?"

Blushing heavily, he dared not make eye contact. "...We can still hold hands... Walking. If you wanna."

A subtle blush crossed the blonds' face, and he was surprised at the straightforwardness. But that didn't mean it was unwanted. Satan cleared his throat and Elias pulled his hand away. The one thing racing through the demons' mind wasn't pure in and of itself, but overall, he couldn't help but think the smaller boy looked like a pet that was sad their master was leaving. Instinctively, he lightly ran a hand through Elias's hair, causing the boy to turn his gaze up. A very red face and wavering amber eyes stared back, holding out for a reply.

' _Cute.'_ Is what the demon thought to himself, repressing his grin.

"Sure. I'll be right back, make sure you're dressed."

With a nod of his head, Elias looked away once more and began to gather his clothes to change. Meanwhile Satan was walking to the bathroom, a hand covering the grin on his mouth before shutting the door behind him.

••••

The two were now dressed for school and walking down to the dining hall together, hands holding one another loosely. The grip wasn't as dead set as Asmo's or Belphie's, but also didn't relent in firmness, keeping Elias right by the demons side.

He'd made sure to check his outfit thoroughly, being positive that the hickey wasn't visible to anyone, but it still felt as if it were boldly on display somehow. As if just knowing that the mark of possession under his clothes was there, it made concentration on other things difficult. Not impossible, but _definitely_ more difficult.

Once they walked into the dining hall, they sat beside one another. Satan had released Elias in favor of preparing his plate, and the human followed suit.

It was strange at how normal this felt now. Just a few days before, he hadn't even been aware any of the brothers had feelings more than platonic. More accurately, he didn't know any of them had ' _desires'_ surrounding his presence. It was surreal in its own right. But he didn't hate it. Not that he didn't want his total freedom back, but the overwhelming affection he'd received— in **many** ways— was one he'd only had courage to dream about before.

Suddenly the brunette felt a light nudge to his leg, looking over to see Satan with his legs crossed over one another, sipping tea and reading. For a half second his eyes diverted, leading Elias to see Leviathan across the table, chattering about something. Seemingly, directly at him. He wasn't sure how long he'd zoned out, but he redirected himself, trying to follow what Levi was saying for context clues on the conversation.

"But, it's limited edition! So I thought, 'I **have** to get that', right? And it's right after. We'd have to hurry! Immediately, okay? I shouldn't have to remind you how important this is. Don't wait to go to the bathroom or anything until right before, got it?"

Levi's demeanor was serious, but excitement danced around his irises. Elias managed another nod, smiling halfheartedly.

"Ahaha... Right, right..."

Beaming now, the purple haired demon let out a sigh he'd been holding in. "Good. You get it. Don't make me wait, okay? I'll be seriously, _seriously_ mad if we get there late and it's all sold out."

A silent plead in his eyes, Elias glanced to Satan, keeping a smile of desperation on his face.

Satan's own green irises made contact with amber, but his only reaction was a coy smile before turning a page in his book.

He could be such a jerk at times when it came to seeing Elias squirm.

Levi continued to ramble about this supposed limited edition thing, and the human listened to the best of his abilities.

Once breakfast was over and everyone was cleaning up to gather their things before leaving, he texted Satan hurriedly.

_'Please tell me where.'_

A soft 'ding' in his pocket, the demon pulled out his D.D.D. Elias could see from where Satan stood the smile on his lips, typing back.

_'Why? Weren't you listening?'_

Blushing a soft pink, the human typed back with fervor.

_'I wasn't ignoring him, I just zoned out. Tell me.'_

Once more glancing at his phone, but this time Satan only read it, swiftly putting it back in his pocket once more. 

In a huff, Elias glared daggers before reluctantly sending another.

_'Please?'_

The blond finally went to text back, but his reply was curt.

_'I'll ask again. Why?'_

Elias bit his lower lip, side eyeing the amused demon, replying after a few suspenseful seconds.

_'I'll owe you one.'_

As if that was what he'd been waiting for, Satan sent two more texts in succession.

_'Meet him outside of the school at the gates immediately after class.'_

_'I'll let you know when I want to collect my favor.'_

Promptly shoving his phone back in his pocket, the conversation ended, and thoughts of the others antics swirled in his head at what he just got himself into.

••••

While walking to class, Leviathan seemed a bit uncomfortable. Elias was just scrolling through Devilgram, not really wanting to bother him as they went on side by side. It seemed like the other wanted to say something, continuously stealing glances at the others phone in his hands, but only silence filled the spaces of their quiet walk to RAD. The human was trying to think of how to ask what was wrong without furthering his discomfort, but the quick walk was what ended the awkward interaction instead.

Levi held up a hand and waved without much else while walking to his respective class. Elias waved back with a smile.

Oh well. This was Levi, he probably was just getting excited thinking about whatever they were doing later.

Letting sleeping dogs lie, his day began.

••••

During the lunch period, he was going to go and find one of the brothers to sit and eat with, but Solomon stopped him in the hall.

"Elias!"

The brunette was waved down, and he took pause so the other could catch up while giving his own wave back.

"Hey Solomon. What's up?" They both moved to the side so others could pass by them as well as to make their conversation a bit more private.

Solomon smiled in response, tilting his head in curiosity.

"You never responded to me last night, so I wanted to make sure you got my text."

_Shit._

Elias frowned and quickly reached into his pocket to pull out his phone.

"Oh no, I'm sorry— I completely forgot to check my messages yesterday!"

Opening the unread text, he stopped to look it over.

_'Elias, would you like to meet for lunch tomorrow?'_

Well, if he didn't feel like a jerk before, he did now. Leaving his answer until the very last minute

"I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner. But..." Taking a moment, he was going to turn him down, but the usual inclination to seek out one of the brothers wasn't as strong. Plus, he already felt bad enough ignoring the text.

"Actually, yeah. I can do lunch." Grinning, he tucked the phone back into his pocket. This freedom, while small and not really developed, was nice. Sure, the pain was still present, but he didn't need it gone. Just manageable. "If you still want to?"

"Of course. Shall we?"

With polite conversation back and forth, they made their way to the lunchroom.

••••

Now sitting together in the far end of the cafeteria, Elias began to eat, and Solomon mostly filled in the gaps. Their conversation led to nowhere in particular at first, although the brunette was unaware as to if he should pry and ask why he wanted to meet. Luckily, the sorcerer answered his thought.

"So, may I ask how you came to have that contractual bond placed on your neck?"

It was a very roundabout way of saying ' _Who collared you?'_ , but the subtle wording was appreciated for the sake of Elias's pride.

A dry laugh escaped him and he took a sip of his water before answering.

"Is it... Super obvious?"

"Oh, no. At most maybe considered a strange choice of accessory, but the rumors are very mild."

Elias felt his heart stop, eyes widening at the others words.

"Rumors? What rumors?"

Solomon blinked and a vague concern clouded his features, covering his mouth as if he shouldn't of said what he did. But even with that reaction, he didn't pull punches.

"I would have assumed you'd know. My apologies." Even with the indistinct sincerity, he continued. "It's a collar, and you are living with some of the most powerful demons in the Devildom. Surely you know where this is going?"

Cheeks glowing a faint scarlet hue, Elias covered his face with his hands, mumbling. 

"Yeah. Yup. No need to say anything else, please."

Solomon laughed, clearly amused in some way, causing the boy to respond with a sullen look.

"They are just rumors. From what I've heard, Lucifer and the others have done well to snuff out anyone trying to pass them along where they can."

' _They know?!'_

Even though the white haired boy had said that to comfort him, it did just the opposite, making him even more embarrassed to know that the rumors were only unbeknownst to him, living in general ignorance, while everyone else was aware. Elias brought his hands away from his bright red face, pushing what was left of his food aside. 

Solomon's facial expression softened, and he offered a wry smile.

"Either way, I actually wanted to know what happened from you directly. Perhaps I could be of some assistance?"

Coming back to himself, the brunette held up his hands as a gesture of ease.

"No, you don't have to concern yourself. I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"Truthfully, I'm just very interested in the item itself. Not that I'm unwilling to help. But I'll rephrase-- Would you let me partake in helping you?" The sorcerer eyed the collar in curiosity and leaned on one hand that was being propped up from his elbow resting on the table. "I could have some valuable insight what with my studies in the arcane arts. From what I can sense, it's a witches civil curse, correct?"

Shifting in his seat due to the scrutinizing gaze of what was around his neck, Elias tried to think clearly. He didn't want this to become the talk of the school, especially if rumors were already circulating. And while he didn't dislike Solomon, he can't say he trusted him. But it was true that there may be things that he, from a human magic users perspective, Elias and the brothers overlooked.

Pondering these thoughts he felt his phone buzz and took the opportunity to look.

It was from Leviathan.

' _Where are you? Don't you have lunch right now?'_

Elias typed back swiftly.

' _Yeah. I'm in the lunchroom with Solomon.'_

Levi's response caused the boy to frown. He was being so odd today— or odder than usual, at least. Concerned, he replied.

' _Everything okay?'_

After a bit of mid-stop typing, he got an answer.

' _Yeah. Awesome.'_

_'/s'_

The terse and uncharacteristic tone of text caught Elias off guard, but when he had looked up to see Solomon just sitting there and waiting, he felt it'd be best to try and not be anymore rude than he had already been to the guy who invited him to lunch. 

' _Well, I'm in the far corner of the cafeteria. Come over and join if you wanna. :)'_

Hoping that was enough, he put his phone away once more, resigning to whatever may come of it and putting all his attention back to the boy across the table. Sighing softly the brunette gave a wayward glance, still a bit unsure but overall decided.

"Okay. I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone else in the school about it. Deal?"

Solomon gave a smile that had a underlying unnerving feel, but ignored it in favor of believing it was a little paranoia.

"Of course, you have my word."

Elias went on to explain the basis of the contract, collar and how he got to this point while only leaving out the more _intimate_ details. The entire time the sorcerer listened intently, nodding along and even smiled sympathetically at some parts. Once he'd finished, the boy took a deep inhale and exhale, having tried to speak as concisely as he could while being quiet and not drawing attention.

The white haired boy hummed in thought, brows furrowing slightly when he'd finished.

"Wouldn't that mean you should be in an excruciating pain right now? Since you've been away from them all day?"

Subconsciously Elias raised his hand to touch the hickey on his collarbone for a brief moment, quickly realizing when following Solomon's gaze, and dropping his hand back into his lap. Blushing furiously, he tried to play it off with a laugh, shrugging.

"Er, I guess I'm getting used to it? I'm good with handling pain, so it's not a big deal."

Solomon continued to stare at him, eyes widening at the bold words.

Elias promptly backtracked at the realization and shook his head to refute what he'd said. 

"No, no! **_Not_** like that-- Not like, well, I mean I don't _practice_ or anything but—"

The more tongue tied and redder Elias got, the harder it was for the white haired boy not to laugh. Finally, after an amusing minute of rambling, he stopped him while suppressing a chuckle. 

"I understand. No need to defend yourself."

But to the him and the flush creeping up the back of his neck, it felt as if he'd just made some awkward and dirty confession in a way. And knowing it wasn't entirely wrong only made the fact he said it out loud **worse.**

Solomon seemed unworried, the smile still plastered to his face in a calm demeanor.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll try to see what I can find out. But, I am curious. The role reversal between you all is interesting, wouldn't you say?"

Cocking his head to the side after composing himself, his brows furrowed together in confusion. Role reversal?

As if reading the boys mind the sorcerer happily clarified.

"You have pacts with all except Lucifer, which is like an invisible collar in it's own right. So for technicalities sake, you could order them around, too." Putting his index finger to his lips and closing his eyes, the white haired boy continued. "Although from how you described the contract I must say it may not be the best idea to anger your ' **Masters** '." 

The smile that he was given at the word ' _Master's"_ sent a tingle down his spine and more heat up to his face. Hearing it out loud always had such a heavier effect as opposed to the unspoken knowledge. But, he did have a point. One that Elias hadn't even considered before, mainly due to the fact he didn't often use the contract to order any of the brothers he had pacts with around. Only every now and then when Mammon got extra rowdy or on his nerves. Even so, the contact and their pacts all had distinct differences— The main thing being that they didn't become physically or mentally hindered if they disobeyed. There was also that pesky little detail regarding having to satisfy _every_ desire. Elias could tell them to maybe stop in place or walk away, little things like that, but he couldn't make them feel compelled to do something to the point it may be life threatening. So yes, the similarities were there in the barest sense, but the power dynamic of the two were skewed.

Even so, it made the boy laugh to himself at the thought of him ordering them to do half of what he'd been told to. His ass would have likely been served on a silver platter as Hell's Kitchen's specialty the next night, but it was nevertheless comical to imagine.

Solomon seemed to pick up his thought process with the facial expressions he'd been making, laughing along with him.

After discussing back and forth a few more things, the sorcerer stood from where he sat and gave the boy a cheerful grin and nod of the head. "Right, well, this was all very informative! Thank you for telling me about it, Elias. I'll see what I can come up with." His eyes darted away for a moment before returning. "I'll leave you two be."

Two?

When Solomon exited, Levi came and sat down. His presence held an air of irritation and pulled the brunettes attention. This was so unlike him, which only made Elias want to pry as to why that was.

"Hey! You came." He gave him a smile and tried to lighten the mood.

Levi sported a tinge of pink on his cheeks and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, I told you! Didn't you read my texts?"

His phone had been set to silent prior, not wanting to cut off his and Solomon's conversation anymore than it had been already. So he took it out and saw the 7 consecutive missed messages.

' _You're inviting me? This is an invitation, right?'_

_'But I should anyway probably. Because, you know...'_

_'Anyway, why are you with Solomon??'_

_Nevermind! I'm going to still come, though! So I'm gonna, but can we eat somewhere more quiet?'_

_'Too many normies in one place makes it hard to think, and I GOTTA tell you about the new DLC Mononoke Land released!! It's epic, and the preorder comes with a store voucher for one free_ _merchandise!'_

_'I can't decide between the figurine, keyboard pad, poster or pin set. I WOULD get them all, but I have to save for that thing later. So you gotta help me decide, okay?? Need an outside opinion pls.'_

_'...Am I being ignored'_

The last text broke his heart a little, making him feel the need to clarify.

"I wasn't ignoring you, I promise!" Even though, by definition, he had done just that. Not purposely of course, but it didn't change what happened. "I'm sorry. I got so wrapped up talking to Solomon I spaced looking at my phone." His doleful frown gave way to Levi apparently, because the purple haired demon sighed in response.

"Ahhh! Don't look at me like that!" He put one hand over his mouth as his blush grew the longer Elias stared. Clearing his throat he tried to shift the subject. "Are you... you know... um..." Levi motioned to his neck.

In the middle of trying to decipher his hand motions, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"Ah, we should go!"

Leviathan was a mix of being both dejected and exasperated, but stood up and followed Elias out to the hall after gathering their things.

Shooting a smile at the demon, the boy began to walk away. "I'll see you after cl—"

"Elias!"

The human stopped mid step and faced Levi, who's eyes shifted around the room before settling on the boys own. "L-Let me walk you to class."

Blinking a few times, he nodded cautiously. "Okay, but... My class is in the opposite direction, right?"

Levi's face twisted, looking crestfallen at the response. "You don't want me to.."

Immediately Elias redacted his words, concerned at how he took what he said to heart like that. "No, I do! I just don't want you to be late and get in trouble because of it." Trying to give a reassuring smile, he continued and gestured forward. "I'd love if you walked to class."

The demon seemed to hesitate but moved forward with the boy, unusually silent. This attitude was so out of place, it was throwing Elias for a loop. So he tried to fill the silence between them. "You never showed me the pictures of the Mononoke Land DLC exclusive merch. Lemme see!"

Perking up, Levi excitedly reached into his pocket. "Ohhh, right!! They all look amazing!!! Look here!"

Elias took the phone Levi was now holding out to him and scrolled between the pictures, deep in thought. 

"So? Hard to choose, right?? I don't know what to do!" The disquiet in the demons voice was evident but backed by a clear passion, looking over at the phone along with the human as he hovered close. "What do you think?"

"Hmm.." Elias went back and forth with himself a few times before glancing up at Levi and handing the phone back. 

"Figurine, definitely." He held up four fingers and used his other hand to point at them individually as he spoke. "The buttons will be available on Akuzon, I can guarantee. They're super cute, but since they're not as sought over, people will usually just buy them to sell at a slightly higher price later. Even then it's usually not a ridiculous amount, so any die hard fan can afford the blow. The poster would be nice to keep in a frame, but probability of damage over time is higher. Plus, like the buttons, the price is increased but manageable later to buy online. The keyboard mat is nice in theory, but if you want to preserve it, there's no practical use. And since it's a limited edition, if you damaged it at all, there wouldn't be an easy way to replace it. So, the figurine is the best bet!" After rambling off all of that, they'd arrived at Elias's classroom, and he gave Levi a grin. "You have a glass case so it won't be damaged, and it'll be used since it's on display. Win win, right?"

The demon had been listening in awe, eyes going wide in surprise at the conclusion. "You're right! I've been trying to decide for a week, too!" He smiled at the brunette and took his phone back, finally realizing they'd arrived. Glancing back and forth once or twice between Elias and the classroom, he looked like he wanted to say something, gazing at the boys hand momentarily. Before he worked up the nerve to speak, the second bell rung. Frowning, Levi began to walk away, saying one last thing before leaving. "Remember! Right after school, come see me!"

Elias nodded and waved as he left, going into his class just as Levi broke out into a fast pace to make it to his own. 

••••

Just as he'd been asked, right after class, Elias went to the school gates.

The demon was waiting there for him with an impatient look on his face. As soon as they saw one another, Levi walked over, and seemed to examine the brunette.

Elias took note of this and lifted a hand to push his messy bangs out of the way. Was his hair messed up? Something on his face?

Whatever it was, Levi dismissed it in favor of beginning their walk, striking up small conversation.

About halfway into their trip, the purple haired boy quieted down. Once more this left Elias wondering, and finally he couldn't hold back asking anymore.

"Levi, are you okay today? You seem... off..."

His words were left open mainly due to the fact that it was hard to pinpoint what was exactly 'off'. He had still been talking about anime and games and stuff which was normal. But the way he was looking at Elias, his eye contact— It felt like he was always on the verge of asking a question.

Leviathan froze up but didn't stop walking. Instead he glanced at Elias, pink tinging his cheeks again today, finding it hard to speak.

But Elias was a patient guy. He wasn't going to force him to talk if it truly bothered him that much, but he also couldn't do anything to help if he didn't know what was wrong. And since whatever was wrong suggested it linked back to him, he really wasn't sure how he could fix it. If he could fix whatever 'it' was at all, that is.

A couple of awkward seconds in silence later, Levi groaned and brought his hand to his face, blushing hard. His eyes were looking at everything except Elias until a single side glance got him to talk in a mumbled voice.

"...No way... You would like to do the same with me, right? I'm just an icky, yucky otaku, so there's no way you'd..." His dejected expression made the brunettes heart throb, but he stayed quiet, wanting to hear what the demon had to say.

"...Hold hands... Like with the others. It's not fair, though, because I want!—...." He frowned and glanced around before he pulled Elias to the side of the walking path in a small alley, orange eyes firmly locked onto his amber ones in determination, holding the brunette in place by his shoulders. "I want to help with your pain, too, okay? I don't want to be the only one who can't, so I can wear gloves?? Or something! So—"

It was all Elias had to hear. How could he be so stupid? _Of course_ Levi would be feeling insecure after watching him hold hands and be in close contact everyday with all of his brothers and only stopping when it got to his turn. This was due to the hickey Satan so kindly inflicted the night before, but there's no way Levi could've known that. It was just upsetting that it was misunderstood as Elias thinking the other was so undesirable that he wouldn't even hold hands.

Before the demon could finish, the human wrapped his arms around the taller boys neck and pulled him close into a tight hug, his face now resting in the crook of Levi's shoulder and chest pushed flush to the others'. 

Physically feeling the boy heat up under his touch, Elias relished in the warm and electrifying satisfaction that came out of this close contact. Sure, he wasn't feeling pain to the same degree as before. But that didn't mean he felt _no_ pain. It was just duller. And without having giving it much more thought, he'd figured that just dealing with it on his own was the better option. A dumb notion altogether, but it made sense in the moment.

Levi choked on his own words and tried to formulate something coherent, his arms awkwardly lifted away from himself as he didn't know what to do.

"N-No! Elias, I didn't m-mean-- GAAAAHHH! You shouldn— **_Get off me if you don't wanna hug me!_** "

But he stayed firmly put.

After realizing the human wasn't going anywhere Levi's breathing began to even out, but his skin was still hot to the touch and his heart was going a mile a minute. He'd just given an order, technically. And Elias wasn't moving. So he... Really wanted this, then. He wasn't forcing himself for Leviathans sake and ego.

Sensing the boy relax, the brunette spoke above a whisper, his own face now heating up as well. "I'm sorry, Levi. I didn't mean to make you feel like that, I just... I didn't wanna bother you, so..." Technically, true. The least helpful thing right now would be telling him the whole story of the hickey, so this was enough. Just so he knew he could get rid of any doubt the boy had in himself, or the way Elias felt about touching him.

" _Ahh... Jeez..."_ It felt like forever, but the purple haired boy gently wrapped his own arms around the others back, one hand coming to the back of his head and resting in the chestnut locks. "That's stupid... Like, Mammon-level-stupid..." Mummering these words, Levi tucked his own face against the side of the others face, trying his best not to pass out from the increasing blush that spread up to his ears.

"Mm. Sorry. Won't happen again." Elias smiled and shut his eyes, enjoying the time they had to do this.

Not feeling like long enough, but knowing he had to pull away at some point, he gingerly distanced his body away from the other without taking his hands off. Looking at Levi's face, the demon almost seemed in a daze, less red now and more just a soft pink hue. Elias probably didn't look any better.

Amber staring into orange, they spent another few seconds before the brunette cleared his throat and brought the other back to the present.

"Er, won't we be late fo—"

Eyes almost bulging out of his head, Levi snapped out of his trance, shouting mostly to himself but cutting Elias off mid sentence.

" **THE RELEASE!** "

Darting out of the alleyway, the purple haired boy frantically grabbed Elias's hand as they ran further into town, both almost tripping over their own feet as they went. Passerby's who watched them burst out of the alley made way for them, watching as they raced off.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, this chapter was so nice to write!! I love Levi a lot, and Elias can relate to him in some ways. Mainly the passion for what they love is about on par with one another! 
> 
> What did you guys think of the chapter :)? I always love your comments, they're honestly all so motivating! I always come back to read them ^^
> 
> Thank you for reading either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well<3


	12. Rare Drop!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elias and Levi barely make it on time to the aforementioned game release, but run into trouble on the way. What will happen when Elias doesn't have Levi to support him and things get rough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter this time around because I got carried away lol ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ 
> 
> !!! WARNING !!!  
> Mention of assault (but nothing sexually descriptive) and also mention of Levi's pact with MC (or in this case, Elias!)

Both boys ran so quickly it likely would have been record breaking, had it been timed that is.

At least it felt that way, Elias thought to himself.

He and Levi stumbled into a midway point of a long forming line. Both of them were wheezing and panting so hard, they may as well have run a marathon.

" _Th...that... We... R-ran...Hal..Half..way....."_ The brunette was now leaning up against the wall the line formed along, his lungs and heart working overtime, a thin film of sweat soaking his skin while trying to finish his broken sentence. ".. _Haaah... Across....Town..."_

Leviathan was no more worse for wear. Purple locks disheveled and body doubled over, he rested his hands on his knees to support the upper half of his body whilst mid crouch, taking in deep and struggling breathes. A bead of sweat ran off the tip of his chin before he pulled himself upright to respond, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

" _Y-yeah... Made it..."_

Even though they got stares from those surrounding them, the running was evidently a good call. The line had already been decently long before, but even with them having just gotten there, it was still growing. By the time the next ten minutes passed, of which they both spent trying to catch their breath, it had doubled. 

Now in a calmer state of being, Elias straightened up from where he'd previously been slumped against the brick wall, and Leviathan let out a soft exhale of relief. 

Taking in his surroundings, the brunette found a lot of the people around them wearing merchandise T-Shirts of **_Sucre Frenzy_** . But this was a game store...? Was it a live event?

Elias walked a bit closer to Levi, the flush on their faces gradually calming as their bodies cooled.

"So... We made it?" The human questioned curiously, unsure if their position in line meant anything to whatever they had to pick up.

Levi frowned in response, taking a long look at the mass of people in front of them, his face etched with a mild annoyance. "No. There's too many in front of us. No way we're going to get the bundle now..."

Elias quirked a brow while he studied Leviathans distraught features. He thought about his words carefully, not wanting to give away he was piecing this all together as he went, prodding further. "We won't...?"

Glancing at the human, Levi seemed like he wasn't in the mood for jokes, but elaborated. "Yeah. Remember? Only the first 100 in line could get a bundle deal." Defeat wrought his features, talking to himself under his breath to now decide what to do. "I guess I could give up the game for the ticket, but... They're releasing their new song at the next concert!...Though the game is limited edition... _But!..."_

As Leviathan went back and forth with himself, Elias inadvertently zoned into a conversation a small group behind them were having. 

"So you guys go and get the tickets, and we'll grab the game!" One of the two guys said.

A girl chimed in happily. "O~Kay! And don't get bad seats, alright?"

The other girl laughed and nudged her friend playfully. "Maybe we'll get lucky and get the VIP tickets in our game?"

Both boys laughed at the girls, the one who hadn't spoken yet piping in. "Yeah, right. You wish!"

After hearing the exchange behind him, Elias turned back to Levi, who seemed like he was about to self implode. Now with a general idea in his mind, he grabbed the demons' hand to get his attention. "Hey, why not split up?"

Leviathan was brought out of his listless state at the proposition, eyes lighting up momentarily but quickly dulling again. "...No way. You'll be in pain, right?" He frowned and crossed his arms while closing his eyes. "And Lucifer would kill me if I let you get hurt. You don't know how crazy some fans can be." One eye opened to gauge the brunettes reaction. "Devotion of an otaku is powerful. Normies wouldn't get it."

' _I'm sure.'_ Elias thought to himself but couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips.

Levi's brows furrowed, both eyes now open and pointing at the other. "See! You aren't taking it seriously!"

Elias held his hands up and shook his head. "No, I am! I am. But, I'll be fine. It isn't like we're in separate stores, right? I can get the tickets ~~\--~~ "

" _No._ Ticket sales are crazy. You'd be eaten alive and spit back out quicker than a level 1 player facing a boss."

"Okay. Then I'll get the game, and immediately go to see you. I'll stay safe." The brunette offered a smile to the skeptical demon who kept glancing at the amount of people in front of them. 

Elias squeezed his hand to catch his attention once more. "I'll be fine. It was my fault anyway that we were late, plus there's ~~\--~~ " Taking pause to make a rough estimate, he turned back to the purple haired boy. " _Maybe_ 50 people in front of us not in the top 100, probably less. I'll be fine, so trust me, okay?"

Leviathan still didn't look convinced. After all, Elias was only a human. Sure, he'd be in the same building, but a _lot_ could happen in the course of a few minutes.

The human caught the others hesitance in his eyes, tugging his hand again to take him back out from any thoughts of doubt. "Hey, if I can handle a _cursed collar_ , I can deal with grabbing a game. And I have my phone!" A look of determination settled in his eyes, seemingly reigniting a passion in Leviathan. "Are we doing this?"

Leviathan grinned, the flame of conviction re-lit.

"Okay, _let's do this!"_

••••

"You thirsty?" 

Elias glanced up from his phone to see Levi leaning up against the wall next to them. It'd been about 30 minutes since their impromptu sprint, and both still suffered a mild aftereffect.

"Mm, a little. I could use some water after all that running. Should I go buy drinks?" He replied and checked the time. About 3:45 now. The doors would open in 15 minutes, so it would have to be quick.

"No, **you stay in line**. I'm pretty thirsty too, so I'll run to the vending machine across the street ~~\--~~ **_Don't_ move from that spot**, though!" Leviathan's words were an order even though he hadn't noticed nor meant them to be.

"You gave me an ~~\--~~ " But, t was too late. The purple haired demon was already running off, wanting to get back in line ASAP. "...order." Elias sighed and just stayed leaning up against the brick. Not like he could do much else even if he wanted to anyway. Plus he'd only be gone for a minute or two. What's the worst that could happen in two minutes?

As if karma found his optimism funny, the former playful group he'd overheard earlier were joking with one another, and maybe having a bit too much fun. As one of the girls had mischievously crept up on one of the guys to scare them, he'd jumped back ~~\--~~ Or in Elias's case, forward.

He knew what was going to happen but couldn't avoid it due to the command that was given, and was knocked into. Unable to catch his balance or support his weight, the full momentum of the guy bumping into him caused the human to tumble forward ~~\--~~ directly into two men that stood one place in front of them in line. This shove was enough to cause the taller of the two to drop his phone that they had both been engrossed enough in not to notice Elias before they crashed.

Amber eyes wide with surprise, the split second interaction passed, and he was on the ground, the shock having knocked the breath out of him slightly.

" ** _NOOO!_** " The dramatic wail of a voice followed by a slew of curses was heard above the boy as he slowly pushed himself up from the ground, lightly coughing after having inhaled a bit of dirt and raising a hand to his head.

A unforeseen and quick jerking motion on the back of his shirt took Elias's attention away from the minor ache, his feet suddenly off the ground and body hovering in mid air. Feeling his back harshly _thud_ against the brick behind him, the brunette winced, and he opened his eyes to see a demon with harsh black hues and a growing set of horns staring him down.

" _Idiot!_ Do you know how much that cost?! My personally signed _Sucre Frenzy_ phone case, **_RUINED!_** " 

The demon had long, messy maroon hair tied behind his head and ghostly pale skin, indicating he probably didn't get out much. His clothes were unkempt, having looked like they'd been worn for continuous weeks without wash. His face being so close to the boys' that he could smell tobacco and energy drinks lingering on his reeking breath.

Trying his best to use the others hands and not only push the intruding demon away, but also pull himself up and loosen the grip on his shirt that was now firmly choking him, Elias gritted his teeth. Glaring the other down in a mix of pain and annoyance, since this wasn't even really his fault, his eyes darted to the 'ruined' phone laying dormant on the ground that the pair had been watching videos from. Sure enough, the barely cracked phone case that apparently warranted such a response was hardly evident unless actively being looked for. Not responding fast enough to the demons liking at this accusation, Elias was yanked away and then harshly shoved back into the brick wall in quick succession, causing him to cough and choke out a bitter reply.

" _It was an accident!"_

"Hey, it's a _human."_ The other demon that stood next to his assailant spoke up just so they could hear, seeming to sniff the air besides the boy in intrigue. The shorter of the two looked more docile but made no move to step in, bright blue eyes with square glasses and pitch black hair. His general appearance was better than the one pinning him to the wall, but was looking at Elias with such disgust in his eyes that the boy knew there would be no help on his behalf.

Elias side glanced to the ones that bumped into him, but they all were sheepishly looking in the other direction, making no move to come to his aide.

" _Oho_?" With this new knowledge, the maroon demon only tightened his grip, glare even heavier than before and a vile smile touching his lips. "Good. If he doesn't have the grimm to replace my phone case, we can just **_eat him_**."

_'Like hell they would.'_

At those words alone in a fight or flight response, Elias's left hand let go of his grip on the demons still wrapped around the fabric of his shirt, grabbing a fistful of the long maroon hair, and yanking as hard as he possibly could.

A sharp yelp left the demons throat at the sudden retaliation and Elias went tumbling to the ground, coughing and gasping for air, falling onto his hands and knees while grabbing at his shirt collar to loosen it.

Remains of the retaliation weaved through the boys fingers, long strands of his aggressors locks curled around each digit. But he couldn't relish in the small victory for that long.

" _ **You LITTLE—**_ "

His chestnut hair skewed clear line of sight as he quickly looked up and saw the others leg winding back in a blur to, presumably, kick his teeth in. Elias scrambled back and brought his arms to cross his face in a defensive manner, eyes tightly shut in preparation of impact. But the kick never came. Instead, he heard the voice of the demon cry out before a harsh _thud_ reverberated in his ears.

Opening one eye to see what was going on, Elias felt his body relax at the sight.

" _How **dare** you normies touch him._"

Levi's horns were out, one hand in his pocket, and the other holding a single water bottle. The demon who'd shoved Elias against the wall now laying face flat on the ground, one leg being half lifted in the air by Leviathans tail.

Letting go of the mans leg and quickly walking over to stand in front of Elias, Leviathan took a relaxed but stern stance. His glare wasn't anything less than radiating intimidation. The brunette cautiously stood, peeking past Levi's back to see the aggressor wobble to his feet, nose bleeding, and the black haired companion that held his tongue before was now at the others side and hurriedly helping him stay centered and not topple over again. 

The maroon haired demons stubby horns curved forward, and he looked ready to fight up until coming to recognize Leviathan, only that much more aware of just who he was when seeing the orange eyes accompanied by his thorn like horns and scaly tail swishing in aggravation.

But the shorter of the two had recognized immediately, rambling off some halfhearted apology.

"We're sorry truly, we are! We won't bother you again!"

Levi stood his ground and crossed his arms, his form not shifting one bit and entirely unamused.

"Don't apologize for his own lame decisions. _He_ should do that."

Meanwhile, the long haired demon was fuming. To get disrespected like that by a _human?_ And even worse, he was expected to apologize?! His anger wasn't under wraps yet fully, which gave him courage to continue the outburst.

" _He_ started it! Why should I have to apologize?! Look at my phone case!" The man pointed at the slightly chipped signed Sucre Frenzy case that still laid on the ground.

Elias wanted to say something to this asshole _so bad._ Who would assault someone over a broken phone case?! That was only broken from an accident, no less!

Levi beat him to the punch, however, and his glowing orange eyes burned with a passion only an otaku could wear on their sleeve so openly. 

"Taking such a _precious_ item out in the open is your own fault, **_I_** ** _DIOT!_** And you dare call yourself **_otaku_**?!" As if only now getting wholeheartedly enraged, his form began to shift further, scales appearing on his neck. The surrounding folks were moving away and Elias took note of the approaching staff member from the game store. If they got kicked out of line now, their entire trip would be ruined.

The brunette thought on his feet and grabbed Levi's clenched fist, wrapping himself around the taller boys arm and staring up at him. No words had to be said, as his gentle yet firm expression conveyed all it needed to.

The purple haired demons' attention went to the human now clutching onto his arm, and after a few deep breaths, his form shifted back. Just in time, too, as the staff member was now there to see all that transpired.

"What's going on over here?"

The woman from the game store glanced between the four, seeing only the man who attacked Elias still partially shifted into demon form, and gave a scrutinizing look.

"Sir, we don't tolerate fighting on our premises."

The black haired demon had grabbed the forgotten phone, scrambling to explain.

"No! It wasn't our fault, _he_ started it." A finger was accusingly pointed towards the brunette who averted his eyes, trying to suppress the urge to roll them. But with the attendant there, an answer was needed. "No, I didn't. I bumped into you on _accident._ You're the ones that got all mad and assaulted me."

Bickering went back and forth, turning into a he-said-she-said argument, until finally a soft voice spoke up behind them. "Um... The human isn't lying..." The boy who had tumbled into Elias spoke up, frowning and looking at the ground. "I... We were playing around, and I wasn't paying attention. Then I knocked into him, and he knocked into that guy." His finger followed from Elias to the black eyed demon, much to the others disapproval, but he persisted, now talking directly to the woman who was trying to solve this matter. "The human didn't start anything violent."

Added witnesses was all the employee needed to confirm, and Elias nodded to the group, thankful of them having spoken up. The boy nodded back and returned to his groups attention, conscience cleared.

"I see. In that case, sirs, I'll need you both to step out of line."

"WHAT?! No way!" Another outburst from the maroon haired demon erupted, but the game store attendant quelled it with a glare. "Sir. I'm _asking_ you, please step out of the line." It seemed this wasn't her first time dealing with unruly customers, as that icy stare was surely well developed. It made even Elias and Levi want to look away. But if guys like that were an often occurrence then no wonder a tough persona was needed.

Reluctantly but immediately, both demons walked with the lady, the entire time staring Elias down as if they would rip off his head right now if they could until fading from view.

Elias felt how dry his throat was after trying to gulp down leftover anxiety, pushing concerns away only after seeing the others be carried off ~~\--~~ presumably to the back of the line. More importantly, far away from him.

Leviathan shifted out of Elias's grip now and looked him over, a frown on his lips. "Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?"

The insistence to know he was okay coming from the taller of the two and how quickly his personality flipped once this all resolved caused a grin to break out over the brunettes face, remembering how serious he was when walking over initially and covering his mouth to hold in a laugh. "I'm _fine._ I didn't know you could act so cool, Levi."

The purple haired demon flushed before looking away, one hand hovering over his mouth from wonderment due to this sudden praise, and the other going to the back of his own neck to try and calm his racing heart. "I... Um, yeah... T-thanks... Wait, what do you mean you didn't know?!" Frown returning, Levi found himself looking down into amber hues for an answer, which only made the brunette laugh even more. For how often he teased Mammon about being a tsundere, Leviathan wasn't as far off the mark himself as he may think.

"Kidding. Seriously, I... Um, thank you." Unable to help the blush tinging his cheeks, Elias diverted his eye contact. "It _really was_ cool."

Levi's blush turned one shade darker, stumbling on a response. He remembered the sight from across the way just as he'd noticed Elias's transaction, seeing the relatively meek human yanking at a demons hair... "Y-you were pretty cool too." Opting to change the subject, he held out the water bottle that had been in his hand this entire time. "Sorry... I drank some already. I only had time to get one." The reason for that was obvious, since he had had to run over and break up the previous fight. Despite that, Levi didn't mind, but the same may not be true for Elias. Who would want to drink from something he'd already touched... "I can try to run back and grab a new one, but we're close to the opening now, so..." Clearing his throat, Levi redirected the conversation but watched closely to see what the brunette would do. "Anyway, are you ready? Do you still want to split up?"

Elias took the water gratefully, bringing the tip to his lips without pause and smiling in response. "No, I'm fine with sharing. And I'm still good to go if you are. Takes more than that to deter me."

Levi was a little shocked but not at all displeased, since that was basically an indirect kiss. The purple haired demons' thoughts revolved around all the anime and manga he could remember where the protagonist struggled to bring themselves to such a milestone, whereas Elias did it without hesitation. It's probably because he didn't see it as an indirect kiss. Why would the brunette _want_ to kiss him? Yeah, that had to be it.

In reality the boy had just been really thirsty, and he was comfortable enough with Levi that he didn't mind sharing. But it perplexed the brunette nevertheless as he tried to figure out the sudden change in mood. Speaking up, he grabbed Levi's attention to focus on the task at hand. "We are still gonna do this together, right?"

Leviathan was shifting his gaze between his phone and the human beside him. At this point, he wasn't sure about leaving Elias alone. He wanted to keep him safe, but this entire trip would be a waste if they walked away now. "Right. But ~~\--~~ You better call or text if anything happens! I do mean anything BTW, don't try and take on a demon by yourself again." His tone was serious but unrelenting in passion. He _did_ want to do this, he wanted it for a few reasons, but the priority was the brunettes safety. As painful as it'd be to pass up a ticket to his idols live show.

Elias nodded and looked at his own phone, chuckling. "I wasn't trying to the first time!" At this point the first 100 people had made their way inside the store, being the 'early birds'. But this only meant that Levi and he got a head start from the rest of the line, being pretty much at the front. Putting the cap back on his water, he prepared himself now that he knew some of these demons really didn't mess around. Underestimating how dedicated some 'otakus' were was his own mistake. Elias should of remembered, what with how he and Levi even came to make a pact in the first place. He had to take this seriously.

"Got it. Let's do this."

••••

It was one minute before the doors opened for the rest of the people in line. Levi and Elias went over their meticulous game plan, and the brunette put the half empty water bottle in the deep side pocket of his RAD coat, zoning in to not miss one detail.

"So I'll go left to get the tickets. You go right towards the games. Remember; _Don't_ go for the ones at the front! Go right to the back, everyone will be trying to go to the front, and you'll never make it through the mass them. Try and stay low. If you can't get out from somewhere, call or text me, don't even try and leave by yourself! Seriously, you'll get turned into a pancake." Leviathan frowned at the thought and took in a deep breath. "...You're sure?" The hesitance to leave Elias on his own was still nagging at the back of his mind.

"I'm sure! Come on, lets get this thing." Truthfully, this had been the most exhilarating thing that the human had done this entire week. Being on what was essentially house arrest was taking an invisible toll on the boy. So even with the minor altercation earlier, he was having a LOT of fun.

Levi nodded and was actively grinning now seeing the others composure which renewed his confidence in their plan, both of the boys hearing their heart race in their ears.

As if watching a red light turn, seconds passed with a chatter growing in the crowd.

Then the doors opened...

And all hell broke loose.

••••

Elias and Levi were separated fairly quickly, but the brunette knew it was going to happen. They both had their own missions. Still, the ruthless crowd wasn't something you could really prepare for. He was getting pushed and shoved in all different directions, and being a human, it wasn't hard for many of them to force Elias back. He was getting pushed away from this goal! If he didn't figure something out, he'd be thrown all the way out of the store at this rate. 

Thinking on his feet, Elias crouched down to get a new perspective. It was easier to watch foot patterns and weave through the mass of people that way. Praying for his dexterity to not fail, the boy began an effort to get towards the back. Although it wasn't per say easy to do it this way, it was still infinitely better than what he was doing prior. His thin frame and quick movements allowed Elias to weave through the crowd, slowly but surely making his way to the back shelving unit.

But to his dismay when he got close enough to see, most of the games were gone, and what remained was being greedily snatched up one by one.

' _Shit.'_ Now what? At the pace he was going, all of them would be gone before he even got there.

The boy took a deep breath and dodged an incoming demon that was bulldozing through, crouching again and spotting his way in. Swiftly, the brunette crawled under the tables and between the racks the games that were now gone had been held on. The ones in the back were the last ones standing. His final chance.

Elias crawled as quickly as his body would let him, like a cat moving between one table to the next, making use of his own personal shortcut. Now at the back table, 20 or so copies were strewn about, and the number was declining rapidly. 

How would he do this without hurting himself?

17.

The table they were on was pretty far ~~\--~~ too far to guarantee it'd work without injury, if it worked at all...

14.

But if he didn't do something fast, there wouldn't be a game to get. ' _Think, Elias!'_ His palms grew sweaty while watched them get picked off one by one.

9.

Should he crouch down towards them? Maybe try to crawl and hope he doesn't get trampled?

8.

What should he do? A thought of Levi's disappointed face flashed in his mind.

7.

What _could_ he do?

6.

He touched his collar and felt an odd sense of determination.

5.

_"Fuck it."_

In a burst of energy, the brunette took many of the others by surprise, coming out from the table and pushing his way through the bundle of demons reaching for a game of their own. His small frame got jerked around as he staked his claim, reaching out for a copy before seeing it get swiped away. Amber hues quickly found the next and his hand extended once more, not even getting close before someone else grabbed it. A final copy was in the far corner, of which the disheveled boy nearly threw himself across the table. His fingertips brushed the case, going to grip it...

And another took hold, taking any hope Elias had lingering with it.

An eruption of voices and people arguing made the brunette wince. His hips were bumping against the metal table while others pushed past, and his body was being thrown like a rag doll. He needed to get somewhere safe for now. Opting for his earlier escape route, he crawled under the metal table in front of him and tried to catch his breath. Well... He failed.

"I was so close..."

Elias sighed in defeat and glanced out at the passing hoard of people, seeing really only their feet and up to their knees, each one shuffling about. Probably the stragglers who, like the brunette, had a sad surprise waiting when they found out nothing was left.

Honestly, Elias was only here for Levi. To help him get this game and to be able to do something and make the demon happy. He human knew coming into this how the odds weren't stacked in his favor, but it didn't make the defeat suck any less. At least he tried...

Laying back against the cool metal, something being kicked across the floor and wedged underneath a far corner of the table caught his eye. Did someone drop their phone?

After taking a closer look, his heart began to beat a little faster, amber hues gleaming in fervor.

It was a copy of the game!

Elias took a steady breath. He could crawl to the far side where it rested and grab it without even leaving the safety of his impromptu metal shield. Of course, he would need to reach out to grab it, but it he was smart the boy would be home free. Assuming no one else notices and takes it before him or steps on it and ruins the game, that is.

One more inhale to fill his lungs with what was either stupidity or courage, Elias pushed forward, army crawling towards the other end of the table, amber irises locked onto it's target. Once close enough to the edge, he slowly and stealthily slipped an arm out, creeping his hand towards the game. A foot nearly missed his hand, causing the brunette to pull back and take one more deep breath. Determined to make this happen, his hand ventured out once more. Elias's fingertips brushed the edge of the case. And just before someone stepped on the precious item, he snatched it up, holding it to his chest protectively and hyperventilating from the adrenaline rush.

"I did it..." He closed his eyes and laughed softly. "I did it!"

His body relaxed and he brushed dirt off the treasure he'd acquired. Were all otaku events like this? It was akin to a damn sport with all the strategizing and what not, running around, fighting to get through. It was like holiday shopping up in the human world, but somehow worse.

Elias tucked the game away into the breast pocket of his coat for safe keeping until he could get to Levi. He didn't want to lose this after all of that effort. Pulling out his D.D.D, he sent the Avatar of Envy a selfie of himself smiling and holding the game up to cover one side of his face, captioned with 'Mission Accomplished. I'm at the back of the store, but I'm safe. If you could come grab me when your done that'd probably be best!'.

It said his text was read but Levi didn't reply, probably still trying to get his ticket. Elias shifted back to where he'd previously crawled under, laying on his stomach with his feet closest to his exit so he could easily slip out when Levi came. His body was jittery after all of that excitement.

Elias reached to pull out his half empty water bottle, but it slipped away from grasp and rolled out into the open, lightly tapping against a pair of someones black boots. Frowning at the loss, he wondered if he should even try and retrieve it.

To his surprise, the person it rolled into had actually noticed the water bottle and began to crouch down. The brunette stilled as he watched the man go to pick it up, and maroon locks were visible before his face. Elias's eyes went wide as the black irises followed where the bottle rolled out from, finally landing on the humans amber hues, instantaneously clouded in malintent.

••••

Elias had been dragged out from under the table feet first, the noise and bustle of the crowd too loud for anyone to really pay mind, and those that did spare a passing glance didn't bother to help, opting to continue their fruitless search around the game store.

Once Elias was out, the demon clasped a hand over the humans mouth and quickly shoved him into what looked like a nearby stock room. Boxes were all around them on shelving units, and it was dimly lit. The brunette staggered inside and turned to face the demon, gulping hard to swallow his panic as he haphazardly scanned the room for any other possible escape route. But this just being a storage room only had one entry, which meant one exit. Specifically, one this overly aggressive demon was guarding.

The human rapidly tried to type out SOS to Levi, but the phone was snatched before he could even make out more than one 'S'.

"No, no! That isn't how this is going to go down! _YOU_ ruined our chances of getting the limited edition game, and you ruined my phone case! You don't get to call for help!! AND you get us kicked to the BACK OF THE LINE! How dare you, human?! How dare you-"

Elias was listening to his rant, but so far it seemed like that was all the other wanted to do, which was... good? The longer he was preoccupied with screaming, the longer Elias was safe, at least. The shorter demon was nowhere to be found, so maybe they had planned on doing what he and Levi did? Meaning he was trapped completely alone with an aggressive demon and no way to contact anyone. 

Great.

The boy took a deep breath, just listening to the asinine ramblings of this wayward otaku. But he hadn't touched Elias yet ~~\--~~ Besides shoving him in this room ~~\--~~ whereas when they were outside, he didn't hesitate... Was it because he knew that Levi was on the brunettes side? If that's the case, then why do this in the first place? Every possible thought clouded Elias's mind, trying to figure out what was exactly in store for him.

"Hey!! Are you listening?!" The maroon haired man spoke louder, snapping at the distracted human.

Zoning back in on the man in front of him, Elias nodded, wary of this entire situation and trying to stay alert.

"Yes, I'm...listening." The lingering question of ' _why_ ' nagged at his thoughts, though, and apparently could be read through his expression. The demon got closer to Elias now, and the brunette took one precautionary step back. "What— What are you doing?"

No answer came out of the demons' mouth, just opting to creep closer and closer to the human until the boy was backed against a wall. Suddenly, he shoved a finger to point at the collar resting around Elias's neck, the maroon haired mans tone harsh as he replied.

"The _only_ reason I haven't killed you is because you're the pet of The House of Lamentation, human. Don't think I'm letting you off easy. I'm just not stupid."

' _Debatable.'_ Elias narrowed his eyes and turned his face away, cheeks involuntarily going red partially due to anger, but also embarrassment. Seems like the rumors weren't restricted solely to RAD. Although it would probably work in the brunettes favor to play along, doing so was just... Humiliating to think about. So maybe feigning ignorance was the happy middle ground.

"Ahh... Is that what you heard..." Not even able to muster up anything more than a monotone response, Elias continued to divert eye contact until the other demon grabbed the O ring, pulling his face closer without notice. 

"Don't try and play me for a fool! I'm not some idiot! As much as you _deserve_ to be taught a lesson, you're lucky they're keeping you, or else that's exactly what I'd do!" The demon was staring Elias down, black eyes locking onto the boy with an unrelenting gaze. "Is it your side job while you're down here ' _studying'_? Or..." The demon gave a fanged grin, breathing down the brunettes neck. "Was that all just a cover up to be their personal _whore_? How much are you getting paid, anyway? What promises are they keeping for these ' _services'?"_

A wretched feeling welled in the bottom of Elias's gut and made his stomach churn. Knowing that pushing away the intruding individual wouldn't work due to the strength differences, subduing him by surprise seemed easier. Reaching up to yank at his hair as he did prior but now with both hands, he hoped to use the momentum and few precious seconds of shock to escape.

However, this imposing demon read his movements with newfound ease.

Quickly releasing the grip on the O ring, the maroon haired man grabbed both of Elias's hands before he could pull the same trick as before. Subduing the brunette and now pinning him to the wall by his wrists, the demon growled out. " _Did you think that shit would work twice?!"_

Elias gulped, eyes going wide, struggling under the grip. Alarm bells went off in his head, desperate to find some alternative, but each passing second the other got closer.

What now?

"Tch." His attacker shifted so he only had to use one hand to pin the boy to the wall, his other hand going up to the humans' soft cheek. "Money isn't an obstacle, you know. And you don't have to remain obedient to arrogant demons like them if that's all you're looking for." Running his thumb over the brunettes bottom lip, he paused, smirk returning. "I could train you _much_ better."

Stilling at the feeling of the others' finger on his skin, Elias closed his eyes out of disgust. After the demon finished talking, the boy stilled as if considering what was proposed.

This pause made this demon very happy. He'd his the nail on the head, then. And he wasn't below getting the seven demon brothers' sloppy seconds so long as it was worth his while. What Elias did next excited him further, seeing the brunette lean into the touch of his hand, parting his lips slightly to speak...

_And biting down onto his thumb as hard as he could._

Jerking his body back, the man held his now injured hand after letting out a yelp in pain. Elias stood up straight and wiped the blood— the demons', that is— from his mouth in disgust. Fire in his amber eyes unwavering while staring him down, his expression was unforgiving when it came to judgement.

"You are _nothing _compared to them."

How dare he even try and draw comparisons, Elias thought. The brothers weren't always conventional, sure. And maybe a bit overbearing at times. But the human would pick them hundreds— no, _thousands_ of times over before he even thought of anyone else. The mere audacity this demon had to think otherwise was nothing less than insulting in Elias's eyes.

The demon glared at the boy, not taking kindly to his offer being turned down. Gritting his teeth audibly while resisting his urge to put the boy in his place, he abruptly turned away. "FINE! Rot in here, then!"

Without another word and in a fit of rage, the man stormed out, taking Elias's phone with him. Of course, the brunette tried to open the door, but it was firmly shut— also feeling like the handle had been damaged so it wouldn't turn properly. After a few minutes trying to knock and call out being unsuccessful, the boy sighed and sat on the floor. 

He didn't have a phone to call for help, and waiting would take a long time. A frown passed over him at the thought of how worried Levi would end up being unable to find the brunette.

"I gotta do something." 

Standing up with a fortified resolve, Elias looked through the room again. His eye caught a faint light that he'd missed previously with the brisk scan from earlier. It was easy to overlook, as it was towards the far upper corner of the room, towards the ceiling, and half covered by a box.

Deciding that it was his best shot, the brunette crawled up one of the storage racks very carefully. Upon making it to the top and moving the box to the side, he came to realize that it was a vent, the cover not completely attached to the wall either.

And as much as it seemed like a bad idea to crawl into an unknown vent alone, it was all he had right now in his power to do.

So, taking a deep breath for courage and moving the cover to the side, he made his way into the dimly lit and cramped space.

••••

**_15 minutes earlier, Levi's POV_ **

••••

Leviathan was pushing his way through the harsh and overwhelming ticketing crowd, easily making his way towards the front, but still facing resistance as he did. This had been an ongoing battle from when he first got into the store. It wasn't his first time fighting for his right to attend an important live concert event, so he was prepared for the passionate crowd who also were determined on buying tickets for their own spot at the shows audience. And even though Levi was powerful, he was a self respecting otaku! He probably could strong arm his way to the front, but could he even show his face again knowing he gave up the opportunity to show the dedication he had to his idols by doing that?! No way!

Plus, his efforts weren't wasted. The crowd dwindled at a moderate pace, and right around the time he'd gotten close to the front of the line, Elias sent him the sign that he was okay and secured the game. A bright and prideful grin broke out across the demons features. Now all he had to do was get the ticket, and this would be a success!

However not even two minutes after, Levi got a cryptic text from the human. 

'S'?

' _What does that mean?'_

Levi moved forward with the crowd, but he stared at his phone in wait to hear the boy explain further. It was probably just a typo. Or maybe his finger slipped, and he sent a message too early... He texted Elias, sure of himself that's what had happened.

' _What does that mean? lol'_

Nothing.

The boys' brow furrowed, trying again.

_'Did you mean like /s from what I sent before? If so, you're using it allll wrong rofl. What are you trying to say?'_

Still, nothing...

_'Elias?'_

Another two minutes passed, and nothing happened.

Now panic began to settle in Levi's gut. What if something DID happen? What if he got trampled, or someone fought him for the game? What if he got hurt somehow?

Just two people away from the front of the line, Leviathan wrestled with his thoughts. It'd been 8 minutes now without a reply.

Levi's eyes darted between his phone and the people in front of him. The others moved once getting their tickets, and he was now next in line. He'd made it, but what of the brunette? What was happening?? Something wasn't right. Something was wrong.

"Sir! Please, step forward!"

The demon looked up to see a ticket seller beckoning him towards her. He was _so_ close...And even worse, upon looking behind him, he saw that the next in line to get the ticket— _his_ ticket— was none other than the short demon with glasses from before. Knowing he would be voluntarily letting go of his only way to see Sucre Frenzy to _that guy_ made the Avatar of Envy's blood boil.

But, Elias...

"Sir!!!"

Levi fought against his instinct to step forward and ran out of the crowd, dashing towards the other side of the store.

••••

The demon huffed and frantically scanned the room. Elias said he was towards the back in his text. The games were all gone— but that wasn't surprising. And because none were left, the amount of people wandering the store had decreased. Enough so where Levi had a clear path towards the back. But upon getting there, no Elias was in sight. 

Looking around frantically now, the demon almost tripped over something on the floor.

A water bottle?...

No.

Elias's water bottle?!

Now _really_ worried, all of the worst possible outcomes flurried around the boys head. What if he was taken!? Or Eaten!!! Orange hues scanned the crowd for even the barest hint of the boy, pushing through all people in his way, a key chain caught his eye. A chocolate lizard key chain.

 _Elias's_ chocolate lizard key chain.

Without hesitation, Leviathan made his way to the person holding what was presumably the humans phone. It was the same man with maroon hair from earlier, standing next to the black haired boy with glasses. Levi's thoughts raced. He wasn't just angry. He was _pissed._ He knew what this implied, and if there wasn't a proper answer, then there would be hell to pay.

Pulling the taller demon out of his conversation by grabbing the phone out of his hand, Levi ignored the shocked duo and checked the messages to confirm it truly was the humans phone.

Once seeing his and Elias's unopened chat thread, the Avatar of envy grabbed the front of the maroon haired demons shirt with full force, still holding and looking at the phone with his other hand. 

"Hey!" The smaller demon was fretting besides his friend who was slowly being lifted off the ground, Levi's eyes going cold as his gaze shifted to the thief now dangling in midair. "Before I make you drop dead, _tell me how you got this_."

Staring into the mans black eyes who was paralyzed under his touch, he went to speak again, but was interrupted by a noise above them. Before anyone could react, a weight caused Levi to tumble to the ground.

••••

**Elias POV**

••••

In the movies and stuff, they never show how dirty vents are. And how hot they got. Even chalking up the size of how people could fit in one was overdone!

Elias was uncomfortable, cramped, but nevertheless continuing to navigate the poorly lit space, going towards the direction that matched where the most noise was coming from as well as where it seemed to brighten the further he went. 

If Elias had been asked what he was to do today after waking up this morning, crawling around above a game store in their ventilation system after running around to get a video game before getting shoved into a supply closet would _not_ have been in the top 10 guesses.

But that wasn't important right now. The only thing that mattered in this moment was letting his ' _Master'_ know he was okay. And truthfully, even thought the hickey did a marvelous job at erasing a lot of the pain, it didn't eradicate it. The need to be next to Leviathan was growing stronger, and he'd be damned if he passed out in a freaking vent before he got to do it. 

Luckily, his freedom wasn't far off. Within a few minutes and some careful maneuvering, Elias could see people moving from below, each person passing peacefully with nary an idea of the boy lurking in the vents. 

This could be _great_ prank material, actually...

Elias made a mental note and continued to go on, looking for somewhere he could drop out that would at the very least not be in the middle of the store. On his search, he saw the back of a familiar looking head. Two, actually. Jerk who locked him in a closet and jerk who said nothing as he got beat up. Looking through _his phone._

Trailing them in the vents and trying to listen in, he heard their conversation transpire.

"So you just left him there?! Seriously... You're gonna get banned if you keep doing things like this... Ah! Dude, what about—"

"Leviathan?" The maroon haired demon responded to his companion, smirking. "They don't know my name. Besides, I didn't hurt the human or anything... Plus, aren't you mad too?! Because of that little shit, we didn't get the game!"

Taking this into account, glasses guy let out an annoyed huff. "Yeah. That's true. He did have it coming to him... At least we got the tickets." He grinned, crossing his arms. "It was lucky, too. Leviathan was actually right in front of me in line, but ran off for some reason."

"Maybe to go find the human?" The taller of them snorted. "That's the issue keeping human pets, always watching them. They're more trouble than they're worth."

' _Jeez, do these guys ever get out? Are their thought processes so underdeveloped they can't bare to take some responsibility for their own actions?'_ Elias rolled his eyes at the thought and began to formulate a game plan on how he was going to get his phone back. Began being the keyword, as Levi seemed to come out of nowhere, holding his assailant accountable by confronting him without holding back.

"Before I make you drop dead, _tell me how you got this."_

The words made Elias's heart flutter. He was probably worried sick right now, seeing his phone in this random guys hands and having been unresponsive for now 20+ minutes. He should get his attention somehow, because as much as those two sucked, he wasn't about to have Levi getting banned from a store for violence on his behalf.

A loud creaking came from the vent underneath the brunette.

 _'Ah... This isn't good.'_ Was the last thought the brunette had before feeling the vent give way.

••••

The human landed directly on top of Levi, who subsequently let go of the man, all three of them falling to the floor.

Elias was lucky he hadn't banged his head off of a table or something. Levi was in a full on daze as well, both boys sitting up slowly to recollect what exactly just went down— No pun intended.

The opposing demons' on the other hand didn't let an opportunity to escape slip by.

The black haired demon helped his companion up before both ran out of the vicinity, past the group of people that had formed to see what was going on. Levi and Elias focused on getting their bearings, the human sprawled out on top of the purple haired boy under him, who was rubbing the back of his head where it made impact on the ground.

Levi blinked and stared at Elias, who was going to sit up now, rubbing his forehead. Following suit, the demon let out a sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair before softly groaning. "Ahh.. Damn it, Elias!" Levi, much to the brunettes surprise, rested his head on the humans shoulder and took another deep breath.

Gently patting the boys' back in response, he relaxed as the other leaned against him. "Sorry, sorry. But... Levi..."

Leviathan looked at the boy to see Elias glancing around, blushing softly. The crowd from earlier still mostly lingering, now with store staff now also coming over to see what the commotion was about, made for the current scene to be more public than the demon initially realized.

Quickly, they both stood up, faces red and looking away from one another. Elias brushed off his dusty clothes while trying to calm his flustered expression.

••••

After explaining all that happened, getting the employee that helped outside earlier to verify the rowdy customer, looking back at the video cameras to see Elias get locked in the supply closet AND seeing the damage that was done to the lock firsthand— It was all but certain that those other two demons were banned from the store and any future events. Even if they hadn't caught them this time, Elias was happy to know at least there would be some retribution in all of this. Plus, since there was no lasting damage on the brunettes part and the store felt bad over the entire ordeal, Levi was able to get the game on a discount. Which, a brand new limited edition game— on _discount?!_ Something nearly unheard of!

They had finally started to head home. In reality, only a few hours had passed, but it felt as if they'd been on a small journey. One thing was for sure, though... Elias wouldn't doubt the severity of these events in the future. Although the deranged fan wasn't usually something to worry about, the physical aspect of running and climbing took it's toll. He was exhausted. Levi too, apparently, as there wasn't really any conversation happening between the two until the human spoke up.

"So... Today went well."

Leviathan glanced at the boy, scoffing at the dry humor in a harsher tone than intended. "Yeah, sure. It went great."

Elias frowned, side eyeing Levi once more before looking down at his feet as he walked. "I guess I'm not cut out for these events, huh?"

"..."

Again falling silent, the human looked up, but this time saw the demon sporting a light blush. It seemed like he was trying to say something, eventually getting it out.

"...You are. You got the game, so, you did good. _Really_ good, TBH...But..."

Elias paused to see if he'd go on, but when he didn't, piped in.

"...But I also got mixed up with some weird guys who almost beat me up over a cellphone case?"

Levi covered his face with one hand and shook his head, flustered and frustrated. "No, no! Not that! You're good at these events, but..." He stopped and brought his hand enough away so that the brunette could see his blush reaching the tips of his ears, struggling to say this last part. "...Y-you being at the events isn't... Good... For... M-my heart... Aughhh!!" Covering his face with both hands and shaking his head, Levi let his thoughts spill over. "Do you know how scary that was!? Super scary! REALLY scary!! I don't think _ANY_ of my games have made me that scared, and I have the highest rated titles in the Devildom _and_ some from the human world! I thought my heart was gonna explode when I couldn't find you! I thought it was gonna be _my fault_ that you—"

"Hey— Levi, hey!" Elias grabbed one of his hands to pull his attention back to reality, giving a sympathetic smile and trying to be as comforting as he could. "I'm okay! I told you, right? That I would be okay... I'm okay." He interlocked their fingers before squeezing, letting out a subtle exhale when he saw the others face begin to calm. "The entire reason I made it out is _because of you._ They didn't wanna hurt me because _they_ were scared. You saved me." Elias cocked his head and felt his own blush creep up his neck at the statement. "...Again."

Leviathan had been listening closely, the words being what he needed to hear to calm his racing thoughts. But knowing that it was only because _he_ was there that Elias had been safe was... Overwhelming to his wavering ego, to say the least. Not knowing how to handle it, he retorted, staring at the brunette in fluster and surprise. "B-but! If I— If I didn't take you there to begin with, you—"

"This was the most fun I've had _all week,_ Levi." Elias's words were genuine and without any room for argument. He shyly used his free hand to rub the back of his neck, averting his gaze. "It was... Really fun. Don't— Please don't tell your brothers I said that, though." He turned to the purple haired demon with the small plea, brows furrowing. He could only imagine the competitive chaos that would likely ensue should word get out.

Leviathan blinked in surprise, muttering to himself while carding his free hand through his hair. "You think I'd _willingly_ tell Lucifer about what happened today?"

Elias laughed and glanced back to the ground. "Yeah, guess not." Just the thought of what punishment would be doled out made the brunette cringe. Today was neither Leviathan's nor Elias's fault, but the sadistic older brother of his would find a need for punishment somehow, knowing him.

"Still, though. Taking you to these things may not be a good idea." Levi cleared his throat and gripped the humans' hand tighter. It looked like the thought of what _could_ of happened was still weighing on the demons' mind. 

Elias frowned and stopped walking for a brief moment. "What? It's one bad experience! Even then, it wasn't really even 'bad', just had some rough moments. We got what we wanted to achieve." The brunette shoved a hand in his pocket, sighing. "What are you going to do on your week if there's another release, huh? Leave me holed up in your room while you have all the fun?"

Leviathan's eyes widened and he turned to the boy, eyebrows raised in shock. "My... Week? You mean— You mean the alternative contract??"

Even though the boy had been thinking of it more often now, he hadn't planned on openly acknowledging it yet. But his tongue slipped. And the surprise was written on his face as Elias tried to backtrack, letting go of the others hand to hold his up in defense. "I— W-well, _if_ I mean—... Yo-you.... know..." The brunette covered his cheeks and stared at the ground before shutting his eyes, mortified. ' _Urgh...How embarrassing....'_

But Levi's entire demeanor shifted. He was trying his best to hide the excitement, but his grin was winning over the calm facade the demon was trying to present. "That's.. really, really awesome!!" His hands went to rest in his front pockets now. "So then you decided? You're gonna do it, right? And I'll be first?"

Elias's cheeks heated up even more and he glanced around to make sure no one was listening, before staring at the purple haired demon harshly. "Don't say it so casually! I... I'm still thinking about it, but..." A sigh escaped the human, amber eyes raising to meet the others. "...I think so. Do NOT tell anyone, Levi!"

The fact that Leviathan was the first to know of this all but official decision had him over the moon. The question of him being the first was stealthily doged on the brunettes part, but if he was first to know something this important, he'd surely be first for that as well, right? "I won't! I swear on my love for Ruri-chan. But— You will tell soon, right? If you really wanna go to another event, I gotta plan it. We'll be mainly playing video games, though, since you're _so behind,_ but since I'm not going to the concert now we can—"

"Wait, what? What do you mean?" Elias stopped the other mid ramble to point out the fact that he wasn't going to the concert. Wasn't the whole plan of him splitting up so he could get a ticket?

Levi put a hand over his mouth, regretting having admitted that without thinking. "Well... Yeah, but whatever. It happens all the time. I can't... make every one of them..." 

The last sentence sounded physically painful to say on Levi's behalf. And Elias had a sinking feeling it was because of him that he lost out on getting one.

"But— it's...fine. We have the limited edition game, which is what we needed to get in the first place!" Levi picked up on the way the boys shoulders drooped after hearing about the ticket, deciding to try and bring back some of the prior excitement and pulling out the game itself. "Should we open it now? Only for a second, though. I don't usually open these until back at my room, but you're the one who grabbed it, so it's your call. So? Should we?" Levi glanced down at the boy who seemed to come back a little bit, laughing softly at the others insistence. Opening a new game, manga and the like always brought Levi out of a sour mood. Especially when it was special items. Giving Elias the chance to make this call was a privilege not many had bestowed on them. 

The brunette smiled and nodded in agreement, the others excitement contagious. "Yeah. Sure, why not? Just for a second."

They both huddled around the game and Levi peeled the protective tape back, extra careful not to do damage to the case itself. Slowly, the purple haired demon opened it, his eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. Elias was moreso paying attention to Levi than he was the game, so when the boy snapped the case shut abruptly at the halfway mark, the human was a bit confused.

"...No way."

The mumble in Leviathans voice piqued the boys' curiosity. 

"What? What happened?" At first, he'd assumed the game was damaged or something.

"Elias. Open it and tell me I'm not dreaming. ASAP. Right now."

Elias didn't hesitate to follow the demand and opened the case without reservation as the boy had done before him. Staring back at the pair were two shiny, golden VIP _**Sucre Frenzy**_ tickets to their upcoming show. Even Elias himself was in shock, absentmindedly gawking and trying to process what he was seeing.

Levi was doing something similar, but with each passing second, his grin got wider and his body buzzed with excitement. "No way no way no way!" Snapping shut the game case, the purple haired demon made quick work of picking up the boy in unfiltered glee and spinning him around in a hug.

Not completely catching on until he was spinning, he gripped Levi back by hugging his neck, struggling to process. "H-Hey! Levi, we— We're outside!"

Putting the brunette down but not pausing, he began to walk back and forth with the game case, looking between that and the human. "Do you know how rare this is?! VIP tickets! Oh man, this is amazing! I can't believe it— I have to post on my forums that we won them! This is too cool!"

As Levi took out his D.D.D, Elias noted his wording. "We...?"

"Well, duh! Of course you're coming! _You_ found this one specifically!" Levi looked shocked at the question, furrowing his brows and holding up the game/tickets as if it were treasure— which, to an otaku, it was a fair equivalent. "Don't tell me you don't wanna go? That'd be so lame! You have to now. You will, right?" It wasn't so much a question as it was a firm demand.

Elias blushed harshly and cleared his throat, glancing away as he was unable to handle all of this praise. "I mean, yeah, if you'll let me..." He recalled what Levi said earlier about not taking him to events.

Leviathan laughed loudly and shook his head. "After you found this?? _No way_ am I leaving you home ever again! You're a good luck charm or something. Seriously, I'd have to be Mammon to be stupid enough not to take you with me after this!"

Levi's normal nature took over any previous protective thoughts that made him hesitate prior to discovering the tickets, adamant on how much he needed Elias by his side. And even though the brunette knew that to be the main reason, hearing all of these compliments caused his heart to flutter, a smile breaking out on his lips without reserve. 

"Anyway, come on!" The orange eyed demon took the humans hand once more and safely tucked the game into his own inner coat pocket. "We're going home to do dungeon raids! Continue the lucky streak! You gotta help me get those legendary drops so I can be the G.O.A.T in game too. Let's go!"

"I'll— Levi, I gotta shower when we get back, I'm all dusty from the vents." Not to mention the sweat from running earlier.

"Okay, once you're done then." The demon relented, but picked up his pace walking. "We're gaming all night. Don't back out on me now, Elias."

Sighing with a smile tugging his lips, the brunette followed the other, thinking to himself it was going to be another long night.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did a lot of background research on Levi and was kinda shocked at first with how much he really curses omg 😂 I did my best to write him according to how I think he would have reacted, but with such a high stress situation, it took awhile. That being said it was soooo much fun to write this chapter and imagining the fight to get the game and tickets 😭 
> 
> Also!!! Important question for you guys!
> 
> So, I am debating on branching this one of two ways. I know a lot of you guys are excited for smut! (Me too tbh, I have a lot of prompts already laid out (~˘▾˘)~ ) And I wanted to know your thoughts on how to proceed!
> 
> I can 
> 
> 1) Get smut out within the next 1-3 chapters, give or take, but skip Mammon's night with Elias that was SFW and really just teasing/talking like it's been so far in lieu of just a short talk and Mammon pulling Elias to the side for confirmation
> 
> OR
> 
> I can include Mammon's SFW night and then once that's done proceed with smut, which would be roughly between 3-5 chapters from now since I'd finish off Levi's night, do Lucifer's, then Mammon's and then the set up for the 'week' to start!
> 
> I'm leaning towards the first option, but I'd love to know your thoughts c: As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well 💖💕
> 
> PS - I've heard some concerns regarding the hickey and if it was going to become really OP, but it will not! The hickey is like a temporary fix to a chronic 'problem'. As the collars strength grows, effectiveness will dwindle, so it isn't a plot ruining aspect or anything like that!! :)


	13. Playing Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elias and Leviathan are now in his room, thinking that it will just be a fun night in with gaming. But of course, things never go exactly the way they should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this is so late!! ;_; I unfortunately am adjusting to a new medication as of right now, and it makes focusing on a screen for too long difficult and painful. But I hope you all enjoy this chapter nonetheless!! I'll release the next one ASAP, as I think I'm finally coming over the "hump" of this adjustment. 💖 As a forewarning, because I wanted to release this for you all sooner than later, my proofreading may have been subpar. Apologies for that as well. :_: Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> I’ll delete this part when I can post again, but just so everyone knows, I’m in FB jail right now 😅 So that’s why I can’t make a post by myself to let people know this new chapter is released. I’ll be out by April 6th!

Once the boys had gotten back home they were quick to go immediately to Leviathans room, Elias opting to shower as soon as he walked through the door. In all truth, they didn't look the best, Elias having fallen out of that vent and Levi still partially sweaty from earlier. And any of the others asking questions was just an unneeded obstacle seeing how there was too much to explain in a way that would make a semblance of sense in a short period of time.

Wasting not a moment longer than he had to, the boy went to Levi's ensuite and shut the door. Stripping out of the now dirty uniform, he turned on the shower and waited for it to warm up before getting in. The events of today replayed in the brunettes head as he softly lathered shampoo into his hair and took a deep breath of the cleansing steam. Reminiscing brought a subconscious smile to his face. Thinking about each and every one of these troublesome demon brothers, how deeply they all cared in their own ways, set the humans heart aflutter. He was more sure now than ever of what he wanted to do, and since he'd already accidentally blurted it out to Levi, saying it out loud made it more real.

He was doing this. He was going to take the alternative contract... But the real question was, how was he supposed to say this to them? Rinsing the lather out of his locks, the boy leaned against the cool blue tile on the wall of the shower and shut his eyes. Was he just supposed to come out and say it? ' _Hey guys, I think I won't mind being the equivalent of your property for seven weeks straight. So just have at it.'_

Even though that was a broad exaggeration, it would all amount the same way, no matter how eloquently Elias tried to put it. His cheeks flushed a deep red at the thought of their faces and what this all entailed. It brought a mix of excitement, anxiety— but never fear. _Never_ fear. Maybe a little unease at the unknown of what was in store for him, but ultimately, he trusted these seven demons.

Clearing his throat, the brunette shook his head to try and refocus, grabbing the conditioner and opening his eyes. Yet his imagination was relentless. Leviathan would probably... Be very upset if he wasn't first. But then again, he would be upset no matter what. Jealousy was in the demons very nature, and Lucifer even openly stated in the past that a demon cannot hold back carnal desires. So with Levi having an extra special case being the Avatar of Envy, Elias would, by every sense of the word, be screwed no matter what he did. He was a creature of possession, after all. When confronted with competition, the purple haired demon didn't handle loss well. Their TSL trivia could more than attest to that.

But if he had to think of _true_ possession, it'd be Mammon. As the Avatar of Greed, it would be hard for Elias to convince him of anything else once his mind was set on wanting it. Sure, the boy maybe didn't have the brightest of ideas when it came to general knowledge. But what Mammon wanted, he would somehow ultimately get. That was a truth that never failed. And Elias was no exception. When it came down to it, the human would _belong to him_ at some point in the coming weeks. In a much deeper meaning than what the collar currently offered, he would be Mammon's. And while being a possession of the demon seemed like a lavish life, he couldn't help but think that he would be at the others mercy. A _lot_... Especially with how he'd teased in the past...

Overall though, the obvious top contender is Asmodeous. If _any_ of the brothers could exhaust the brunette past a breaking point, who better to do it than the Avatar of Lust himself? Just thinking of the things Asmo would plan and the ways in which Elias would end up submitting was enough to make the humans' breath hitch. Although he'd not let Asmodeous touch him yet intimately, even the playful grasps and skin to skin contact he's experienced so far set his core alight. But that was natural. That was _Asmo._ He had a way of turning Elias on without trying too hard, if at all. But that's not something anyone specific could take blame for, as the demon was simply made to elicit that type of reaction. 

A true dark horse was Beelzebub. That first night when Elias was still new to the inner workings of this collar, and feeling him just _on_ his body caused an ache deep within his abdomen. With a hunger so acute and such little hold on his desires as it stood, Elias wasn't much of a match for the Avatar of Gluttony. Even thinking of trying to come between the force of Beelzebubs desire and his continuous hunger caused a shiver to go down the boys' spine. It would be a stupid _and_ fruitless task. No, if Beel truly lost control, it would be... Something even his imagination couldn't create.

Of course Belphegor wasn't to be forgotten. He probably wouldn't care what order of the line up he came in, but... When he _would_ have Elias, it would be unforgettable. An adrenaline rush passed through the boy at the mere thought of it all. He was straight forward with what he said, his desires were unconventional. And while Elias was curious enough to want to know, blindly walking into submission of something you won't even know about until it's happening is enough to get anyone's heart pumping.

Satan wasn't to go uncounted as well. In fact, even though Elias would never say this directly to his face, he feels that the severity of how he'll be handled will be on par with his eldest brother. Roughly, that is. But knowing Satan, there would absolutely be some twisted catch to it all. Just to see the brunette be completely at his feet, Elias had no doubt in his mind that the blond would bring more than his A game. The human spent enough time with him to know a bit more under the surface of the smile everyone else gets to see. The secret pleasure he gets out of being in control, having power.

That all being said...

Ultimately, Lucifer would likely be the most taxing on his body. His mind. Perhaps even his soul. Lucifer was a man of many talents, and Elias was no fool. He knows at this point that platonic relations aren't what anyone is thinking of. And he knows that when it comes to desire, being perfect all for the sake of pride, he would not hesitate to show the human _exactly_ how he plays with his toys behind closed doors. Everything he knows to everything he would wish to explore, with Elias being the test bunny. And, of course, someone who strives for perfection would expect the same out of their things. The brunette has seen how far his punishments go, and while it went without saying that he would dial it down for his human body as opposed to the brothers much more resilient demonic ones, Lucifer would make sure it was adjusted to still push as much as he could without breaking Elias.

A harsh rapping at the door brought the boy out of his fantasy world, Levi's voice cutting through the sound of water still showering down over the brunettes head.

"Hey!"

Elias almost slipped on the tile from coming back to reality so quickly and jumping in response, but he caught himself on the small ledge that had the shampoos and conditioners previously sitting. The bottles fell one after another onto the floor, echoing throughout the bathroom as the boy cleared his throat and steadied himself, reaching down to pick them up hurriedly.

"Are you okay? You didn't pass out or anything, right? I have everything set up, so hurry!"

"Y-Yeah, I'm good! Be out s..soon..."

His voice trailed off as he took a few deep breaths, the steam making him dizzy from prolonged exposure and his overheating body not helping at all. Elias shook off the feeling of weakness and exhaustion that was taking him over, but soon realized that the reason he was dizzy had another factor. He was half hard after imagining all of that, and to say that those thoughts turning him on was embarrassing wasn't nearly enough to convey how the boy felt in that moment. His body reacted too easily. If just a few thoughts got him to behave like this, how the hell would he survive the coming weeks?

Nevertheless, he quickly washed his body and finished up so he could get out quickly, all the while ignoring the new type of ache that seemed to occur more and more as of recent.

••••

Walking out with a towel around his waist and one around his neck as he used it to dry his hair, he peaked around the corner of the bathroom. Hopefully Leviathan had the sense to at least retrieve clean clothes from the humans room.

"Levi? Do you have clothes I could change into?"

However the purple haired demon sat comfortably at his computer desk, earphones up and blissfully unaware. Looks like he didn't have the patience to wait for the boy to start. But his hair also looked slightly damp, and he was in clean clothes, so there's that at least. He likely went to the bathroom down the hall in place of Elias using his own, which the brunette definitely felt bad about. If anyone should've used another bathroom, it was Elias, as he didn't want to intrude on Levi's space _too_ much.

But he could apologize for that later. As of right now, he needed clean clothes, because there was no way he was putting back on that dirty uniform. He also couldn't just walk through the halls in only a towel. So as much as he didn't want to interrupt what looked like a fierce battle between a gigantic sky... dragon...goblin... thing and Leviathans character, it was necessary.

Slowly walking over to the other as to not startle him, he softly tapped his shoulder.

"Levi?"

Although it looked like the other registered his presence, he didn't actually turn to see the brunette.

"Wait."

Elias froze up from where he stood beside the chair, facing the other. He was too into the game to realize, and he was becoming more and more painfully aware he was in nothing except a towel with every passing moment.

Trying again, he reached out and tapped the other to get his attention, a bit firmer now due to desperation for the demon to grasp the situation.

" _Levi, I—"_

This time Leviathan groaned and shook the others hand off before sighing and speaking his command.

"I'm almost done!! **Just** **sit and wait quietly**!"

Elias dropped to his knees and sat back on his calves, the towel shifting as he did so to barely come undone, but not show anything. However, it was shifting very slowly down his leg, and seemed to be more draping over his lower half than covering it now. His entire body went hot, ears burning along with his cheeks as amber hues desperately looking up at the demon above him, too focused on his boss battle to pay any mind to the brunette. 

This was too embarrassing. Elias's breathing hitched and his heart rate picked up at an exponential pace. Goosebumps rose all over his body and the cool air now felt like it was sticking to his skin in a fruitless attempt to quell his blush. However, his body reacted to it, much to Elias's dismay. He could feel his nipples harden from the chilled atmosphere that Leviathan kept his room at to not overheat his many gaming systems. Slowly but surely, embarrassment passed the threshold into mortification, and he wasn't sure what to do.

It didn't feel bad or anything, just... Revealing. No one had seen him _this_ exposed yet. And the fact that he was at Leviathans feet among everything else was a bit of an overly stimulating pleasure. It felt right, just like that first day. But unlike before, he wasn't scared. Anxious at what Levi's reaction would be, and absolutely shameful at how he was presented, but not scared. It caused his gaze to go glossy and his mouth dry, tears pricking the corners of his eyes, but control being kept enough so they wouldn't spill over.

After what felt like an eternity, Leviathan grinned and fist pumped to himself, the large creature on screen falling to it's death, and his character standing on it's corpse in victory. "Hell yeah! I've been trying to get that one _forever!"_

Elias, the command now having a little less hold due to him being 'done' but not yet released, reached up and gently tugged on his jacket.

Levi was still all smiles, picking up the last bit of loot. "Yeah, I know, I know. What's u—"

As the demon turned to look at the boy, what he found was not at all what he was expecting, eyes falling from where the boy should be standing next to him, to where he actually was at his feet.

There sat this human on his floor, weakly grasping onto his jacket with a shaking hand while completely disheveled. The towel nearly falling off and showing skin without reservation. Elias's damp and tousled chestnut locks stuck up in different directions messily since he didn't properly blow dry it yet, and nearly his whole body radiated a red flush. The most captivating being the amber eyes that averted making eye contact, but could still clearly show to be on the brink of tears.

A few moments passed as Leviathan processed what he was seeing. His orange irises wide and unbreakable on the humans' form. But his heart wasn't going to let him live out the moment for long, a blush creeping over his face and quickly standing to turn around. 

"W-why are you dressed like t-that?!"

Elias still wasn't told he could speak, however. He let out a small whimper to grab the others attention in desperation. Levi had stood from his chair so quickly, it rolled halfway across the room. Not hearing an answer, Levi ran his hands through his hair, unsure of what to do. 

"We— we _can't_! Not yet! I-I know you said you're gonna do the contract and stuff, but I'm— I'd totally be taking advantage of you right now and influencing your choice! I think! GAH!" He shook his head violently. "NO! We.. We'll do stuff... L-like this... When it's official, but... Not now! I refuse!" 

Still, silence filled the room.

Levi huffed, his face red as an apple, and glanced at Elias through his peripheral vision. " **Say _something_**! **Say _anything_**!"

"Something. Anything."

Elias's retort made Levi's head whip around. This wasn't the time for jokes! This was serious! He was doing his best to resist, but the brunette teasing only made it worse.

Only, it wasn't teasing. Everything seemed to click when he had turned to give the boy a scolding and saw the plea behind his eyes. Finally, he realized his mistake, and hurriedly took off his jacket. "Shit! Ah, no, I'm sorry! Ah— **You can talk and move now**!"

Elias let out a shaky sigh and quickly fixed the towel around his waist to cover him more modestly. Levi draped his jacked over the brunettes shoulders, pacing the room in a subtle distress. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! You must hate me now, right? Of course you hate me, who wouldn't hate me, _I'm sorry!_ "

The brunette stood to his feet and walked over to the other, readjusting the jacket before grabbing Levi's hand, bringing his attention back and cracking a small smile just to reassure him.

"No, Levi, I'm okay, really... I.. I-I'm fine, it was an accident, too, so.."

Levi turned to Elias and frowned deeply, cheeks still red from the aftermath, eyes searching the others for any sign of hesitance. "But.. I almost made you cry, right? How can you say that's fine? That's definitely _not_ fine. I totally bombed, and I didn't even realize, and hurt you—"

" _No."_ Elias interrupted. "No, you didn't. I wasn't.. The tears weren't.. Bad.. ones.." The human shut his eyes as he tried to will himself to go further, but his bashfulness held his tongue.

Luckily, Leviathan was smart enough to connect the dots, per the evidence of shock and excitement on his face. But some part of him still wanted to contest it. As if it couldn't be true. It _wouldn't_ be true, he was misunderstanding, Elias couldn't possibly... Could he? 

Levi was dumbfounded, staring the boy down subconsciously. Elias shrunk under his restless gaze, looking everywhere except the others face.

"...So, um, clothes?" He managed to mumble, desperate to change the subject and move on.

Leviathan snapped back to reality, eyes widening.

"Right! Clothes! Uh—"

Levi quickly walked over to a chair in the corner with what Elias hoped was clean laundry, sifting through the many clothing items and tossing some select few on the couch as he did so.

The brunette was staring at the floor to get some sense of relief from this lingering tense atmosphere. It was throwing him for a loop. Out of all of the brothers, he hadn't expected to be feeling like this with Leviathan first— possibly save for Mammon. Not that he had doubts on the others... Capabilities... But, with his generally self depreciating attitude and overall awkward personality, it just didn't occur to Elias that this type of situation would arise so suddenly. That being said, he... Also couldn't ignore the growing _issue_ underneath his towel. He had been trying to ignore it, will it away once more as he did prior, but that entire scene stirred something in his body. He was just... So tired of waiting to satisfy the demands his body was making.

The entire situation making Elias a bit more delirious on lust, he gulped, feeling his skin radiate heat to signify what was going through his head. He shifted uncomfortably to hide his growing erection and then pulled Levi's coat around his shoulders a bit firmer than before, it falling over his hips just enough to aide him.

"You keep zoning out today..."

The human glanced up at the demon now standing in front of him, the other looking a mix of concerned and curious, but also trying to not look at Elias directly. He was holding out what looked to be a fresh shirt and pants.

"Sorry... Guess I'm just really tired..." Elias reached forward and took the clothes, strategically holding them in front of his groin as nonchalantly as he could. "Well I—... I'll be out soon."

He gave Levi a polite smile and hurried to the bathroom so he could change again, shutting the door behind him and sighing with relief once he was alone.

••••

Coming out of the bathroom once more, he was wearing black sweats and a white t-shirt, quizzically looking at the writing on it and cocking his head while grabbing the others attention.

"Hey, Levi?"

This time, Leviathan had only one ear covered by his headphones, so he was aware of the others presence but persisted in his game. The demon seemed to take whatever free time he could to do this, no matter how short of the time span. After all, Elias hadn't spent that long changing, yet he already seemed immersed completely yet again.

"Yeah?"

His answer was distant, but not cold, and he used on hand to control his character on screen while taking a sip from what seemed like an energy drink.

Elias raised an eyebrow while looking up to stare in the others direction despite him not having turned around, asking in a genuine;y innocent curiosity.

"What does _'Oppai'_ mean?"

Leviathan nearly choked, grabbing at his chest as he set his drink down and grasped at his chest to control his coughing, pausing his game and quickly swiveling around to see Elias in one of his less savory shirts he'd bought awhile back.

"Wh-where did you—" The demons' eyes went to the pile of laundry, and to his demise, he realized that what he had grabbed was _not_ the plain shirt as he'd originally thought. Standing and walking over to Elias, he was shaking his head as he spoke. "You gotta take it off, that one— I-it's no good, okay?! I'll get you a new—"

Elias took a step back and eyed the other, humming as a form of refusal while he did so. "Wait, you didn't answer my question. What's it mean?"

Levi flushed red and looked away, not knowing how to explain and awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Eventually getting bored of waiting for an answer, the brunette sighed and pulled out his phone. "Fine, then I'll just look it up."

"No!" Leviathans head snapped forward and he reached forward, to which Elias took another step back. "Levi, wai—!"

Before they were able to regain their senses, both had tumbled onto a futon bed in the corner, Elias laying under the other as he stared back into orange eyes in shock. The demon's face was so close to the other, with one hand by the humans head and the other on his hand which held the D.D.D. Purple locks brushed over Elias's forehead they were so close, Levi taking deep breathes as he hadn't yet fully composed himself, pink tinging his cheeks.

" ** _Don't_** _look up what it means."_

Elias was now bright red, but gave a subtle nod, gulping down any former protest. He'd been under too much emotional ups and downs today to be able to handle this kind of... position. Their eye contact remained firm, both not willing to break it, and in a slight trance.

Leviathan was either in a daze or just too petrified to move, and the brunette subconsciously raised his hand to the others cheek. That small bit of contact broke their spell, causing the boy to come to and break away from the others' embrace, clearing his throat as he stood. "...Let's... Game... I-I'll get you a new shirt first."

True to his word, Levi awkwardly went over to the pile once more, this time grabbing the plain white shirt he'd meant to originally. Striding over to the human cautiously, he timidly held it out for the other to take.

Elias sat up slowly, his cheeks still hot, and agreed with the decision. Leviathan turned away to sit where he set up a pair of controllers and two person game beforehand. The human took the opportunity to swap shirts in that moment before walking over to join him.

••••

"What the hell?! How do you keep getting the rarer drops?? It's not fair!!"

Elias was laughing, continuing to play the game as he shrugged his shoulders and looked for another enemy to attack.

"You said it yourself, right? I'm lucky."

Levi gave an annoyed side glance and then focused on playing again, grumbling to himself.

They'd been playing for hours at this point. It was easily 2:00 AM, if the boy had to guess. The stimulus from the TV screen kept him awake enough to even stay up like this. But, despite his mind staying firmly active, his body was not taking the hit as easy. His shoulders slouched and his eyes drooped, trying to coax the boy into sleeping. The final straw was when his fingers started to weaken to the point his poor character suffered in the virtual world.

Sighing in defeat, Elias put his controlled down and stood from the couch they'd been sitting on. He stretched his arms to loosen them from their rigid gaming position, and bringing feeling back to his legs. 

"I gotta call it. I'm too sleepy..." The boy looked down at Leviathan who had paused the game and was staring in confusion with a frown.

"Ehhh? But it's still so early!"

Elias laughed and put a hand on his own stomach, cocking his head in a playful way. "This is _early_ to you?" The human shook his head and sighed, crossing his arms. "Now I know why Lucifer was so worried about your grades slipping. When the do you even sleep?"  
  


"In between loading times." Leviathan deadpan stared at the brunette, completely serious.

Elias blinked a few times, not sure how to answer. "That-... I mean, you can't possibly-... You know what? I don't want to know. Too tired." Although his curiosity was riled in wonder at how that would even be a possibility for proper rest to _function_ , he didn't have the willpower to sit through a probably long and defensive explanation. "Night." Continuing on his previous path to the bed, he wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed how exhausted he was sooner. Leviathans rather competitive and passionate energy most likely aided to the fact that Elias could push off sleep to this degree.

Levi had still been frowning slightly, but watched as the other went to lay down. The demon couldn't help those thoughts from earlier flooding back into his memories and quickly shook his head like an etch-a-sketch to try and get rid of it. Gaming served it's purpose as a distraction. So he would game. He would game until those thoughts weren't as prominent- Thoughts of _Elias, sitting on his knees for hi—"_

" _GAHHHH!!"_

Before Levi could stop himself, he vocalized his emotions, overwhelmed with these sudden thoughts. Shouting in anger when gaming usually helped, so it's the same for this... right?

Either way, Elias sat up from where he had just laid down, looking around the room worriedly. 

"What, whats going on, whats happening?!"

The humans' sentence was rushed as he scanned his surroundings. He hadn't completely been asleep in such a short amount of time, but he had been getting there. So he woke up abruptly from his minor dream, very similar to being awoken from one where the person asleep is falling from a high height. The boys' heart thumped loudly in his chest, breathing quickly.

Levi held his hands up to try and show everything was okay, worry clouding his face. "No! Nothing's wrong, I just— um... Died in my mobile game! That's it! Sorry, I'll be quieter..."

As Elias calmed himself, relieved that everything was okay, he went back to resting comfortably.

Meanwhile Leviathan had turned to hide his growing red blush, taking a deep breath and whispering to himself.

" _Okay, you got this. It's fine. You're an otaku, damnit! Your mind should be full of anime, manga, games and idols_ _only_ _!"_

Levi picked the controller back up, determined to get his focus back to the roots of who he is, as the boy he fantasized about soundly slept just a few feet behind him.

••••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, I'm so extremely grateful to everyone. I read each and every comment, and I've been slowly working on this over the course of the last few days. I don't feel like I did it as much justice as I could of, so I may revisit and update little things here and there when I'm feeling better. If I change anything story altering, I'll of course include it in the newest chapter release notes so everyone can be aware. This adjustment unfortunately effects my ability to focus and causes excessive drowsiness. At the very beginning, my hands shook a lot, so holding or even just doing basic things became a nuisance, let alone writing.
> 
> I know I'm not obligated to share all of this, but I felt you all deserved at least a little bit of explanation since the frequent updates just suddenly stopped.
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you liked this chapter! 💕 I'm going to try and be more consistent again, since the symptoms are more manageable everyday it seems! Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate all of you and your kindness immensely and it makes me overjoyed people like this story enough to follow it. 
> 
> BTW, I read EVERY comment! And I love you all and gladly take your input into account! I just figured that if my typing were to focus on anything in short intervals, it should be the chapter, so I could release it sooner. But that certainly doesn't mean your comment went unnoticed, I love each and every one of them! 😊

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave your thoughts and comments below! :)


End file.
